Depp v. Heard — Trial Archive
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Expert Witness

Richard Gilbert

Courtroom still of Richard Gilbert.

Hand surgeon who assessed possible causes of Johnny Depp’s finger injury.

2022 Defamation Trial Apr 11 – Jun 1, 2022
Called by plaintiff
84 lines 3 proceedings 9 highlights

About

Richard Gilbert, a hand and upper-extremity surgeon, testified for Depp in rebuttal about his finger injury and the opinions of defense expert Richard Moore. Gilbert described a fractured fingertip and clean-edged tissue loss. He said a thrown vodka bottle striking a hand resting on a marble bar could have caused the injury, while punching a wall was highly unlikely given the injury pattern. He did not claim to identify the cause definitively.

On cross-examination, Heard’s counsel challenged Gilbert’s characterization of Heard’s account, saying she had not identified how the injury happened. Counsel also pressed him about the absence of glass and other hand injuries, and about an unsupported suggestion that Depp’s hand had moved during impact. On redirect, Gilbert acknowledged that an isolated finger injury could occur through different mechanisms, but said wall-punching would more likely injure multiple fingers.

Trial Record (3)

2022 Defamation Trial Apr 11, 2022 – Jun 1, 2022 3 proceedings

Day 23

Direct Direct Examination of Richard Gilbert Richard Gilbert Samuel Moniz 4 48
Summary

Hand surgeon Dr. Richard Gilbert testified that Depp's Australia finger injury is medically consistent with a thrown vodka bottle and inconsistent with Heard's punching account.

Highlights (4)
Quote

“he had what we described as a comminuted fracture of the distal phalanx, meaning there was a fracture of the tip of the finger, and comminuted meaning that there were multiple pieces. So this is some type of blunt force with a high mechanism of injury.”

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Quote

“I certainly believe that a vodka bottle that was thrown from a distance against a hand that was resting on a marble bar is more than sufficient force to result in this fracture and soft tissue loss.”

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Cross Cross-Examination of Richard Gilbert Richard Gilbert J. Benjamin Rottenborn 3 30
Summary

Rottenborn impeaches plaintiff's hand surgeon on the Australia finger injury theory, revealing his hand-movement explanation lacked any evidentiary basis per his own deposition.

Highlights (3)
Redirect Redirect Examination of Richard Gilbert Richard Gilbert Samuel Moniz 2 5
Summary

Moniz briefly redirects Gilbert, who clarifies that the absence of other hand injuries makes alternative injury mechanisms—not the thrown bottle—more unlikely.

Highlights (2)
Quote

“it certainly makes other potential causes of injury more unlikely, meaning punching against the wall or getting the hand slammed in a door or something like that”

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Locations

Australia 3 procs

Evidence From Their Proceedings (2)

Photographs Admitted

Plaintiff's Ex. 60 — X-rays, Depp's Right Middle Finger (Gilbert)

Two X-rays of Johnny Depp's right middle finger taken after the Australia injury, showing the comminuted fracture at the distal phalanx, published to the jury as a demonstrative…

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Documents Unclear

Richard Gilbert's sworn deposition taken March 17, 2022, referenced at pages 61 (document page 16) and pages 25–26 (document page 7).

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