Melanie Inglessis
Melanie Inglessis is a professional makeup artist who worked with and befriended Amber Heard during the period of her marriage to Johnny Depp. As part of Heard's personal inner circle, she was present at the Eastern Columbia Building penthouse during key periods in late 2015 and 2016. She ended both her professional and personal relationship with Heard approximately one month before the trial began.
Testimony Impact
Inglessis testified that on December 16, 2015, she found Heard with bilateral periorbital bruising, bridge-of-nose discoloration, and a split lip — injuries she likened to the result of a headbutt — and applied specialized concealer and red lipstick to cover them before Heard's appearance on The Late Late Show with James Corden. She identified multiple injury photographs and penthouse property damage in exhibits, placing herself at the scene across two visits. On cross, Vasquez established through a rapid-fire denial series that Inglessis had never personally witnessed any abuse by Depp, and that every injury attribution rested solely on Heard's own account or her close circle. Vasquez also exposed uncertainty in the timeline of the penthouse visit and walked back the "lightly headbutted" characterization from direct. On redirect, Inglessis confirmed Heard used arnica gel and ice to reduce swelling before the show, and she recounted taking Heard's phone the night before the divorce filing so Heard would not receive contact from Depp.
Notable Quotes From The Record
“it could have looked like somebody had headbutted her lightly, so she had discoloration here, on both eyes, and the bridge of the nose, and she had what I would call a split lip, or something on the lip, like a gash or a split lip.”
Inglessis's firsthand description of Heard's December 16, 2015 facial injuries, the central evidence of this proceeding.
“we covered the, you know, discoloration or the bruises with a little slightly heavier concealer, one that has a little more peach undertone, which I normally don't use on Amber, but peach does cancel blue.”
Explains the departure from Heard's typical makeup routine, establishing the injuries required deliberate and specialized concealment before a public appearance.
“she had the ability to, you know, turn it on. That she had the ability to do her job and perform how she was supposed to perform on the show.”
Characterizes the contrast between Heard's distressed private state and composed on-air appearance on the evening of December 16, 2015.
“Thousand percent. Without a doubt. I just don't remember, you know, it's five years ago. I don't remember the exact date.”
Inglessis asserts strong certainty about the substance of her observations while candidly acknowledging uncertainty about the precise date.
“I would say every time. I would say that during my friendship with Amber, before she filed for divorce, which, I mean, timeline, I don't know, a year, maybe a year and a half, it was all - it was always some conflict, some fight, some - some physical fights, some verbal fights.”
Inglessis volunteers that their friendship was dominated by constant reported conflict — but immediately undercuts its weight by confirming she did not personally witness any of these altercations.
“I wasn't there. I don't know if he lightly or no lightly. I don't know.”
Direct walkback of the 'lightly headbutted' characterization from direct examination, conceding she had no basis to describe the force or manner of any alleged act.
“Because Amber always had, in her bag -- we have the same concealer. She has a concealer from a brand called Cle de Peau. And a specific shade, you know it's beige. Beige was Amber Heard's color for under her eyes, period.”
Explains why Inglessis specifically remembers using the peach-undertone concealer on December 16 — she deviated from Heard's habitual shade to neutralize discoloration consistent with bruising.
“So, I remember physically having her phone, and when I dropped them back at the penthouse, she said, keep my phone so if he contacts me, I won't know. I won't cave. And I'll file for divorce tomorrow.”
Establishes that Inglessis actively intervened to ensure Heard filed for divorce, demonstrating the degree to which Inglessis had accepted Heard's account of the marriage and acted on it.
“She took arnica, and we had arnica gel. And I always have arnica gel in my kit anyway, and she had arnica gel. Yeah, she used arnica gel and some ice.”
Establishes Heard actively treated swelling before her public appearance, consistent with having sustained facial injuries.
“It just brings, you know, the swelling down. I mean, not drastically, but it helps with the swelling a little bit.”
Inglessis's professional characterization of arnica gel's effect contextualizes why visible swelling might remain despite treatment.
Key Moments
Inglessis describes Heard's December 16, 2015 injuries: bilateral periorbital discoloration on both eyes, bruising on the bridge of the nose, and a split lip — likening the appearance to someone who had been lightly headbutted. This firsthand description forms the evidentiary core of her direct examination.
Day 18 · Direct of Melanie Inglessis
Inglessis details the specialized concealment technique: a peach-undertone Cle de Peau concealer applied to neutralize the blue discoloration of bruising — a deliberate departure from Heard's usual beige shade — and deep red lipstick layered over the split lip before the James Corden appearance.
Day 18 · Direct of Melanie Inglessis
Bredehoft walks Inglessis through Exhibits 7, 9, 11, 14, 16, 17, and 19 — photographs of penthouse wall writing, a damaged bed, Heard's facial injuries, and missing hair — each identified by Inglessis as accurately depicting what she personally observed across her two visits.
Day 18 · Direct of Melanie Inglessis
Vasquez conducts a cumulative rapid-fire denial sequence — did you see Depp yell, kick, throw, slap, punch? — each answered 'No,' culminating in Inglessis conceding she never personally witnessed any abuse and that all injury attribution came solely from Heard's own account or Heard's friends.
Day 18 · Cross of Melanie Inglessis
Vasquez exposes uncertainty in Inglessis's timeline: she cannot confirm whether her penthouse visit was December 15 (before the alleged incident) or on another date, undermining the sequential corroboration her testimony was meant to establish.
Day 18 · Cross of Melanie Inglessis
Inglessis recounts physically taking Heard's phone the night before the divorce filing so Heard would not see contact from Depp — revealing her as an active participant in events surrounding the restraining order, not a passive observer.
Day 18 · Cross of Melanie Inglessis
On redirect, Inglessis confirms Heard used arnica gel and ice to reduce facial swelling before the James Corden show, and explains arnica gel is a standard item in her professional kit — corroborating the injury narrative while contextualizing why visible swelling remained after treatment.
Day 18 · Redirect of Melanie Inglessis
Locations
Evidence From Their Proceedings (7)
December 2015 Heard Injury Photos — Inglessis Set (Exhibits 14–19)
Four photographs of Amber Heard depicting injuries on December 16, 2015, authenticated by makeup artist Melanie Inglessis, including one specifically depicting a lip injury.…
Catalog entry →Deposition Exhibit 9 — Damaged Bed Photo (Dec. 2015, Inglessis)
A photograph of a damaged bed in the penthouse bedroom, introduced through Melanie Inglessis's deposition in connection with her account of damage observed during her December…
Catalog entry →Exhibit 22 — Photograph of Amber Heard on the James Corden show, December
Photograph of Amber Heard on the James Corden show, December 16, 2015
Catalog entry →Exhibit 7 — Kitchen Wall Writing Photo (Dec. 2015, Inglessis)
A photograph of writing on the kitchen wall of Depp's penthouse, introduced through Melanie Inglessis in connection with her account of damage she observed during a December 2015…
Catalog entry →Heard Alleged Injury Photos Shown to Inglessis — Exs. 14–20
Photographs of Amber Heard's alleged injuries, designated as Exhibits 14 through 20, shown to Inglessis during direct examination. Vasquez established on cross that Inglessis did…
Catalog entry →Heard Scalp/Hair Injury Photo — Inglessis Testimony
A photograph of Amber Heard's scalp showing a missing chunk of hair, designated as Exhibit 11. The image constitutes physical evidence of a scalp injury.
Catalog entry →Plaintiff's Exhibit 9 — Still photograph or video frame from Amber Heard's appearanc
Still photograph or video frame from Amber Heard's appearance on The Late Late Show with James Corden, December 16, 2015.
Catalog entry →