Raquel Pennington
Raquel Pennington was Amber Heard's longtime close friend who lived at the Eastern Columbia Building penthouses alongside Heard during her relationship with Depp. Her partner, Josh Drew, was also part of the extended social circle. Prior to trial, she had given sworn testimony in both the 2016 Depp-Heard divorce proceeding and the UK libel trial.
Testimony Impact
Pennington testified across three proceedings, cross-examined by Vasquez and then redirected by Rottenborn. Vasquez systematically narrowed her direct knowledge: Pennington's accounts of Australia injuries, the Thanksgiving incident, and Depp's conduct at Hicksville relied largely on Heard's telling rather than personal observation, and she conceded she never witnessed Depp strike or physically injure Heard. On Rottenborn's redirect, she gave a first-person account of placing herself over Heard during the May 21, 2016 penthouse confrontation, authenticated a series of injury and damage photographs, and confirmed that Depp's self-named "monster" alter ego was known to his inner circle — providing corroboration for Heard's domestic violence narrative that Vasquez had worked to undercut.
Notable Quotes From The Record
“We don't speak. We are not enemies.”
Characterizes Pennington's current relationship with Heard as a quiet estrangement, relevant to assessing her loyalty and potential bias as a witness.
“The first Coachella that we went to, a second Coachella that we went to, and maybe at Hicksville. I can't be sure about that”
Specifies occasions when Pennington observed Heard use mushrooms while Heard was in a relationship with Depp, establishing a pattern of drug use during that period.
“Yeah. I believe that we -- I believe that I pushed her.”
Pennington's admission that she initiated physical contact in the Holly Drive altercation, establishing that Heard was capable of being in a two-way physical confrontation with a close friend.
“Stuff off the counters, cushions thrown around, things strewn about the floor.”
Pennington's description of the Hicksville trailer aftermath corroborates general disarray but is bounded by secondhand knowledge — she did not see Depp cause the damage.
“She had these deep cuts on the backs of her forearms and-yeah, they were very, very deep, long cuts on the backs of her forearms.”
Pennington's firsthand description of injuries she attributed to the Australia incident, establishing her as an eyewitness to the aftermath.
“She could have.”
Pennington concedes Heard herself could have thrown the wine bottle at Thanksgiving, undermining the inference that Depp was responsible.
“The first thing I remember was just hearing them. I don't remember what they were saying, but it was a verbal argument and then he continued to yell and -- I went over to her and then stepped between them.”
Pennington's account of entering PH3 on May 21, 2016 — confirms a verbal altercation but positions her as an intervener, not a direct witness to physical contact.
“I never witnessed him throw anything at her. Around her, yes.”
Key admission on cross: Pennington distinguishes between throwing objects in Heard's direction and throwing them at her, effectively narrowing the scope of her direct evidence.
“We called it "the monster."”
Establishes that Depp's altered, volatile state had a collective name known to his inner circle.
“He named it that.”
Attributes the 'monster' label directly to Depp himself, undercutting any claim the term was imposed by others.
“I don't remember anything that he said. The statement that sticks out the most is that he was just yelling at her to get up. To get the fuck up.”
Pennington's sharpest recollection of the May 21 confrontation; conveys the tenor of the encounter.
“I have done the very best to tell the absolute truth, exactly as I remember it, at all of the points in time.”
Closing affirmation of truthfulness, delivered directly in response to Rottenborn's final credibility question.
Key Moments
Vasquez establishes that Pennington's entire account of the Hicksville trailer rage rests on Heard's telling — the sole 'angry and aggressive' conduct she personally witnessed amounted to Depp saying 'Get off my woman' to Kelly Sue Milano, nothing more.
Day 17 · Direct of Raquel Pennington
Pennington admits she initiated physical contact with Heard in a Holly house argument over dishware, complicating any framing of Heard as uniquely prone to violence in close relationships.
Day 17 · Direct of Raquel Pennington
Pennington acknowledges observing Heard use cocaine on fewer than five occasions and mushrooms approximately three times, including during the Depp relationship — drug-use admissions elicited line by line on cross.
Day 17 · Direct of Raquel Pennington
Pennington describes deep cuts on the backs of Heard's forearms seen immediately after Australia, but concedes she was not present and her understanding of the cause comes entirely from Heard's account.
Day 18 · Direct of Raquel Pennington
The sharpest concession of the cross: Pennington confirms she was present on May 21, 2016, but never saw Depp touch, strike, kick, or throw anything at Heard — distinguishing objects thrown 'around her' from 'at her.'
Day 18 · Direct of Raquel Pennington
Pennington gives her most vivid first-person account of May 21, 2016: arriving to find the door locked, forcing entry, and physically placing herself over Heard while Depp stood above them yelling 'Get the fuck up.'
Day 18 · Cross of Raquel Pennington
Rottenborn elicits that 'the monster' was Depp's own name for his altered state — a term Pennington heard Depp use himself, not one imposed by others — establishing collective knowledge within Depp's circle.
Day 18 · Cross of Raquel Pennington
Pennington flatly denies the Depp team's 'staged crime scene' allegation, stating she was not in penthouse 3 before Heard and had no part in arranging or fabricating any scene.
Day 18 · Cross of Raquel Pennington
Locations
Evidence From Their Proceedings (11)
December 2015 Heard Scalp and Hair-Loss Photos
Photographs depicting Heard's scalp injuries and hair loss associated with the December 15–16, 2015 incident. iO Tillett Wright identified them as consistent with scalp injuries…
Catalog entry →May 21, 2016 Penthouse Night Injury Photos — Exhibit 42
Photographs of Heard's injured face taken at the penthouse on the night of May 21, 2016, designated as Exhibit 42 and taken by Raquel Pennington. Pennington identified a swollen…
Catalog entry →December 2015 Injury & Penthouse Damage Photos — Exhibits 15–23
A set of photographs authenticated by Raquel Pennington depicting Heard's bruising, scalp abrasions, hair loss, and property destruction in the penthouse following the December…
Catalog entry →Exhibit 25 — PH3 Nightstand Damage Photo
A photograph of the nightstand area in the Penthouse 3 bedroom showing a fallen lamp, broken glass, and scattered items.
Catalog entry →Exhibits 29–38 — May 21 Penthouse Damage Photos (Pennington)
A set of ten photographs documenting property damage across Penthouses 3, 4, and 5 following the May 21, 2016 incident, including broken glass on staircases, overturned furniture,…
Catalog entry →Heard Injury Photo — Pennington Exhibit 3
A photograph of Heard's injuries authenticated by Raquel Pennington as a photograph she recognized. No specific date for this exhibit is identified in the available record.
Catalog entry →May 27, 2016 Courthouse Photos by Pennington — Exhibit 46
Courthouse photographs of Heard taken on the day of her domestic violence restraining order application, designated as Exhibit 46 and identified by numbers CourtPennington 1292…
Catalog entry →Pennington Divorce Deposition (July 14, 2016)
Raquel Pennington's deposition taken on July 14, 2016 in connection with the Depp-Heard divorce proceedings, Volume 2, pages 238–240.
Catalog entry →Pennington Exhibit 7 — Blonde Hair Clump on PH4 Floor
A photograph taken by Raquel Pennington of a clump of blonde hair on the floor of Penthouse 4, left undisturbed before being photographed.
Catalog entry →Pennington Exhibit 8 — Broken Platform Bed Frame, PH4
A photograph of a broken platform bed frame in the Penthouse 4 bedroom, authenticated by Raquel Pennington as depicting the broken bed she found on the evening of the incident.
Catalog entry →Raquel Pennington UK Witness Statement (June 16, 2020)
Raquel Pennington's sworn witness statement submitted in the UK Sun trial proceedings, dated June 16, 2020.
Catalog entry →