Depp v. Heard — Trial Archive
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Expert Witness

David Spiegel

Courtroom still of David Spiegel.

Psychiatrist who testified for Amber Heard about substance use and intimate partner violence risk factors.

2022 Defamation Trial Apr 11 – Jun 1, 2022
Called by defendant
534 lines 5 proceedings 17 highlights

About

David Spiegel was a psychiatrist and acting department chair at Eastern Virginia Medical School when he testified as an expert for Heard. He described clinical experience treating substance use and intimate partner violence. He said he twice sought to examine Johnny Depp, but Depp declined.

Spiegel related evidence of Depp’s substance use and behavior to factors associated with intimate partner violence. Before he testified, the judge limited that testimony to risk factors, not a conclusion that Depp had committed violence. Spiegel also discussed narcissistic traits without diagnosing Depp with narcissistic personality disorder. Regarding Heard, he said symptoms associated with battered-wife syndrome could be mistaken for borderline personality disorder and noted that a couples therapist had not diagnosed her with that disorder.

On cross-examination, Depp’s counsel challenged Spiegel’s opinions about someone he had not examined and questioned whether they complied with the psychiatric profession’s Goldwater Rule. Spiegel withdrew an inference he had drawn from Depp’s use of an earpiece. On redirect, he said the records he reviewed were confidential rather than public and that cross-examination had not changed his broader opinions. Depp’s rebuttal expert Richard Shaw later maintained that Spiegel’s opinions about Depp’s personality and cognition violated the rule because Spiegel had not examined Depp and, in Shaw’s view, lacked sufficient data.

Trial Record (5)

2022 Defamation Trial Apr 11, 2022 – Jun 1, 2022 5 proceedings

Day 20

Direct Direct Examination of David Spiegel David Spiegel Elaine Bredehoft 3 50
Summary

Bredehoft qualifies psychiatrist Dr. David Spiegel as Heard's expert in psychiatry, substance abuse, and IPV; Dennison objects and requests voir dire of his qualifications.

Highlights (3)
Quote

“Substance of abuse, both in their short term and the long term, can affect the brain in terms of mood; behavior; cognition, meaning attention, concentration, memory, ability to control your behavior; as well as your overall level of functioning.”

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Quote

“when we are discussing intimate partner violence, I think it's imperative for the jury to know we are talking about repetitive behavior over periods of time, and the type of abuse can be any physical, psychological, sexual.”

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Voir Dire Voir Dire Examination of David Spiegel David Spiegel Wayne Dennison 3 27
Summary

Dennison challenges Spiegel's IPV credentials during voir dire, establishing no IPV-titled publications or CV entries; court admits him as expert over objection.

Highlights (3)
Direct Direct Examination of David Spiegel (Continued) David Spiegel Elaine Bredehoft 4 159
Summary

Bredehoft elicits Dr. Spiegel's opinions linking Depp's polysubstance abuse and narcissistic traits to intimate partner violence risk factors, over repeated Dennison objections.

Highlights (4)
Quote

“Mr. Depp has behaviors that are consistent with both someone who has a substance use disorder as well as consistent behaviors for someone who is a perpetrator of intimate partner violence.”

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Quote

“the APA task force on violence in the family defined, more or less, this topic of domestic abuse and intimate partner violence as recurrent abusive behavior by means of psychological, sexual, or physical maltreatment for the purpose of achieving control or maintaining power, authority, and control.”

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Quote

“it was offered twice that I could do an evaluation of Mr. Depp directly, and both times, Mr. Depp and/or his lawyers decided that that wasn't going to happen.”

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Cross Cross Examination of David Spiegel David Spiegel Wayne Dennison 3 214
Summary

Dennison cross-examines Dr. Spiegel, attacking Goldwater Rule compliance, NPD traits-vs-diagnosis, MMSE methodology, and a deposition "idiot" comment about Depp.

Highlights (3)
Quote

“No. As an expert witness, I have not acted unethically. And if you want the jury to believe that expert witnesses are unethical, then I guess that's for them to decide.”

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Quote

“I will concede to you a hundred percent if that is the standard and people have done that with acting, then I apologize and that was wrong on my part. If that's the standard, I'm wrong. I don't know.”

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Redirect Redirect Examination of David Spiegel David Spiegel Elaine Bredehoft 4 84
Summary

Bredehoft rehabilitates Spiegel by distinguishing private records from the Goldwater Rule, walking through narcissistic-trait evidence, rebutting BPD diagnoses across multiple treating clinicians, and displaying Australia destruction and passed-out photos as IPV risk-factor evidence.

Highlights (4)
Quote

“She had traits. She did not meet In the - her own evaluation, she did not have the full - endorse enough criteria to meet the criteria for borderline personality disorder and/or histrionic personality disorder. She definitely had traits; she did not have the disorder by going by the strict number of criteria.”

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Locations

Australia 2 procs

Evidence From Their Proceedings (18)

Video Admitted

Kitchen Cabinet Video — Depp, February 10, 2016

A video filmed by Heard on February 10, 2016, showing Johnny Depp slamming kitchen cabinets, pouring wine, and smashing glasses while yelling. The version TMZ received via a…

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Photographs Admitted

Australia House — Bathroom Mirror Writings (Exs. 374, 375, 1830)

Photographs of bathroom mirrors in the Gold Coast, Australia rental house bearing messages written in black oil paint and red lipstick, including "Starring Billy Bob and Easy…

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Photographs Admitted

Depp Ice Cream / Passed-Out Photo (Def. 1094)

Photograph of Depp passed out with ice cream spilled on him, taken during the Black Mass filming period. Heard sent the photo to Raquel Pennington on August 7, 2014 with the…

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Documents Unclear

Blaustein Session Notes — October 2014 through January 2015

Dr. Alan Blaustein's handwritten session notes for Johnny Depp, beginning with an initial telephone consultation on October 2, 2014, and spanning through January 8, 2015. Notes…

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Documents Excluded

Kipper Deposition Transcript and Related Records

Dr. David Kipper's deposition transcript and associated email describing Depp's 'fundamental issues with anger' and romanticization of drug culture, as well as Kipper's clinical…

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Photographs Admitted

Depp Passed Out on Floor in Tokyo, July 2013 (Def. 1090)

Photograph taken by Heard showing Depp passed out on the floor in Tokyo in July 2013.

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Documents Unclear

Depp–Kipper Texts July–August 2015 (Dr. Cowan / Medication Requests)

Text messages from Depp to Dr. Kipper in July–August 2015 showing Depp's hostility toward Heard's psychiatrist Dr. Cowan and requests for Xanax and Adderall as PRNs.

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Photographs Admitted

Additional Incapacitated-Depp Photo (Def. 1095)

Photograph of Depp in an incapacitated state presented during expert psychiatric testimony.

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Documents Unclear

APA Goldwater Rule text — the 2017 amendment stating it is unethical to offer a professional opinion about an individual without conducting an examination — read aloud by Dennison.

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Audio Recordings Unclear

Audio Recordings Reviewed by Spiegel (Case Materials)

Audio recordings reviewed by defense expert David Spiegel as part of his case materials, not attributed to a specific exhibit.

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Photographs Admitted

Australia House — Painted-Over Canvases of Heard (Ex. 1828)

Photograph taken at the Gold Coast, Australia rental house showing canvases of Heard that had been completely painted over.

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Photographs Admitted

Australia House — Property Destruction Photo (Ex. 1829)

Photograph from the Gold Coast, Australia rental house depicting destruction of property.

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Documents Unclear

David Spiegel's deposition transcript — specifically the line 'So, I mean, he's an idiot' and earlier statements about comparing Depp's Pirates performances to deposition testimony.

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Documents Unclear

Depp video depositions taken November 10–12, 2020 and December 14, 2021.

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Documents Unclear

Keenan Wyatt's prior trial testimony establishing that the earpiece Depp wore on set carried music, not script lines.

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Documents Excluded

Lloyd–Blaustein October 2014 Medication List Email

An October 26, 2014 email from Debbie Lloyd to Dr. Alan Blaustein listing Depp's prescription medications, including Seroquel, Adderall, and Neurontin.

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Documents Unclear

Photographs of physical injuries referenced in case materials.

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Documents Unclear

Shannon Curry's Expert Materials — Reviewed by Spiegel

The collective body of Shannon Curry's expert reports, deposition, and trial testimony, reviewed by Dr. David Spiegel in preparation for his own expert testimony.

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