Depp v. Heard — Trial Archive
Person Shannon Curry Depp v. Heard← All People
Expert Witness

Shannon Curry

Courtroom still of Shannon Curry.

Forensic psychologist retained by Johnny Depp’s legal team to evaluate Amber Heard

2022 Defamation Trial Apr 11 – Jun 1, 2022
Called by plaintiff
626 lines 6 proceedings 22 highlights

About

Shannon Curry evaluated Heard and testified that her assessment supported diagnoses of borderline and histrionic personality disorders, but not PTSD. She described using the MMPI-2 and a PTSD interview. Curry said the MMPI-2 showed a defensive or minimizing response pattern, while other trauma testing indicated unusual symptom reporting. She did not offer an opinion on which party abused the other.

On cross-examination, Elaine Bredehoft questioned Curry about a meeting with Depp and his lawyers at his home before her retention that Curry had not disclosed in her report. Bredehoft also challenged an expert designation that attributed opinions to Curry before she evaluated Heard, including one Curry said she had never held. Curry acknowledged that Heard’s treating providers had not diagnosed the personality disorders she identified, and explained that treating providers and forensic evaluators have different roles.

Curry later returned to challenge forensic psychologist Dawn Hughes’s testing methods and interpretations. Curry said Heard’s TSI-2 result showed more endorsement of unusual items not typical of PTSD symptoms than 98 percent of test takers, and she maintained that Heard did not have PTSD. Hughes subsequently disputed Curry’s reading of the tests, defended her own methods, and reaffirmed her PTSD opinion.

Trial Record (6)

2022 Defamation Trial Apr 11, 2022 – Jun 1, 2022 6 proceedings

Day 9

Direct Direct Examination of Shannon Curry Shannon Curry Wayne Dennison 4 173
Summary

Forensic psychologist Shannon Curry testifies that Amber Heard has borderline and histrionic personality disorders, does not have PTSD, and showed gross exaggeration of PTSD symptoms during testing.

Highlights (4)
Quote

“people with borderline personality disorder, it seems to be a predictive factor for women who implement violence against their partner, and one of the most common tactics that they'll use is actually physically assaulting and then getting harmed themselves”

Open in transcript → Watch this moment ▶
Cross Cross Examination of Shannon Curry Shannon Curry Elaine Bredehoft 4 301
Summary

Bredehoft challenges Curry's independence through her pre-retention dinner with Depp, an expert designation listing opinions Curry hadn't formed, and prior-statement impeachment on IPV expertise.

Highlights (4)
Quote

“The MMPI-2 profile, it's specific to how she approached this test, and you're correct, for this test, it was a defensive profile, not an exaggerated profile.”

Open in transcript → Watch this moment ▶
Redirect Redirect Examination of Shannon Curry Shannon Curry Wayne Dennison 3 13
Summary

On redirect, Curry addressed the CAPS-5 and trauma-test findings and explained how she distinguished treating and forensic roles.

Highlights (3)

Day 22

Direct Direct Examination of Shannon Curry Shannon Curry Wayne Dennison 5 57
Summary

Dr. Curry rebuts Dr. Hughes's expert testimony, challenging her test battery as forensically inappropriate, identifying response distortion Hughes ignored, and concluding Heard has no PTSD.

Highlights (5)
Quote

“given that PTSD is the most frequently feigned and claimed diagnosis. In civil courts, if you are handing somebody a checklist that has every single symptom of PTSD, you're essentially teaching them all the little nuances that we're looking for to get that diagnosis”

Open in transcript → Watch this moment ▶
Quote

“our cookbook actually states that that 3-6 profile, specifically, tends to be associated with cruel and ruthless behavior, particularly to those who they perceive as less powerful to them and subordinates”

Open in transcript → Watch this moment ▶
Show 1 more
Cross Cross-Examination of Shannon Curry Shannon Curry Elaine Bredehoft 4 68
Summary

Bredehoft attacks Curry's independence and credentials via deposition impeachment, establishing that none of Heard's treating providers ever diagnosed her with BPD or HPD.

Highlights (4)
Redirect Shannon Curry — Redirect Examination Shannon Curry Wayne Dennison 2 10
Summary

Dennison briefly redirects Curry on two cross topics: her rationale for not using the SCID, and her confirmation of compliance with APA Specialty Guidelines 1.02 and 1.03.

Highlights (2)
Quote

“It's a structured clinical interview. It's for rendering a diagnosis. It's best for treatment because you're asking direct questions of the examinee and about symptoms. So if you have an examinee who has a tendency to minimize, you're not going to get much information.”

Open in transcript → Watch this moment ▶
Quote

“Because, well, first of all, I had a limited amount of time for my evaluation, and I already had to use — just to complete the interview was extremely time consuming, and I had to even restructure it into handouts so that I could keep Ms. Heard on track.”

Open in transcript → Watch this moment ▶

Locations

ECB Penthouse 1 proc
Australia 1 proc

Evidence From Their Proceedings (21)

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…

Catalog entry →
Documents Excluded

Bonnie Jacobs Therapy Notes (Heard, from October 2011)

Treatment notes of psychologist Dr. Bonnie Jacobs documenting Heard's sessions over approximately five years beginning October 2011, including Heard's reports of physical and…

Catalog entry →
Documents Mixed

CAPS-5 — Hughes Administration (Heard, Dec. 27, 2021)

The CAPS-5 structured clinical interview was administered by Hughes to Heard on December 27, 2021, producing an approximately 59-page handwritten scoring form. The plaintiff…

Catalog entry →
Documents Excluded

TSI-2 — Hughes Administration (Heard)

The TSI-2, a clinical instrument assessing trauma-related symptoms including an Atypical Response Scale measuring exaggeration, was administered by Hughes to Heard. The plaintiff…

Catalog entry →
Documents Admitted

Falati Nursing Notes for Amber Heard (Aug 2014–May 2016)

Erin Falati (née Boerum), Heard's personal nurse, maintained clinical notes documenting Heard's physical condition, emotional state, and medication regimen from August 2014…

Catalog entry →
Documents Mixed

PAI — Hughes Administration (Heard)

The PAI, a broadband personality inventory with built-in validity scales, was administered by Hughes to Heard. The plaintiff introduced critical item endorsements as Plaintiff's…

Catalog entry →
Documents Excluded

Connell Cowan Treatment Records (Defendant's Ex. 1057)

Clinical treatment notes and deposition of Dr. Connell Cowan, who treated Heard for approximately two years; reviewed by both Shannon Curry and Dawn Hughes as part of their expert…

Catalog entry →
Documents Unclear

CAPS-5 — Curry Administration (Heard)

The CAPS-5, a structured clinical interview for PTSD developed by the National Center for PTSD and the VA, was administered by Curry to Heard.

Catalog entry →
Documents Unclear

Danger Assessment Scale — Hughes Administration (Heard)

The Danger Assessment Scale, a validated instrument identifying risk factors for serious or lethal domestic violence, was administered by Hughes to Heard.

Catalog entry →
Documents Unclear

February 2021 Expert Witness Designation for Shannon Curry

A February 2021 expert witness designation signed by Depp's counsel listing three opinions attributed to Curry before she had evaluated Heard or formed any views, introduced as…

Catalog entry →
Documents Unclear

MMPI-2 — Curry Administration (Heard)

The MMPI-2, a 567-item objective personality and psychopathology inventory, was administered by Curry to Heard on an iPad. Curry produced a 25-page scoring outline summarizing the…

Catalog entry →
Documents Unclear

PCL-5 — Hughes Administration (Heard)

The PCL-5, a face-value self-report checklist of DSM-5 PTSD symptoms, was administered by Hughes to Heard as part of her evaluation protocol.

Catalog entry →
Documents Unclear

Shannon Curry Deposition (March 21, 2022)

The pre-trial deposition of Shannon Curry taken March 21, 2022, including pages 199, 200, 207–208, 240, 254–255, 270, 305–306, and 337.

Catalog entry →
Documents Unclear

Abusive Behaviors Observation Checklist — Hughes Administration (Heard)

The Abusive Behaviors Observation Checklist, a brief therapeutic checklist with no published validation research, was administered by Hughes to Heard.

Catalog entry →
Documents Unclear

Banks and Anderson Clinical Notes — Curry Record Review

Dr. Amy Banks's notes and transcript together with Dr. Laurel Anderson's clinical notes as couples therapist, reviewed by Shannon Curry.

Catalog entry →
Documents Unclear

CTS-2 — Hughes Administration (Heard)

The Conflict Tactic Scale 2 (Revised, 2nd edition), a research instrument developed for studying family violence prevalence in anonymous survey populations, was administered by…

Catalog entry →
Audio Recordings Unclear

Depp 'Borderline Personality Disorder' Phrase Recording (Curry Testimony)

Audio recording, without a specified exhibit number, in which Depp uses the phrase 'borderline personality disorder' in reference to Heard; played during Shannon Curry's testimony.

Catalog entry →
Documents Unclear

Hughes Forensic Evaluation Report and Interview Notes (Heard)

Dr. Dawn Hughes's forensic psychological evaluation report and interview notes of Amber Heard, including a recorded disclosure of Heard's self-reported arm-cutting at intake.

Catalog entry →
Documents Unclear

Kipper and Banks Medical Records — Curry Record Review

Dr. David Kipper's medical records for Amber Heard, together with records from Dr. Amy Banks, reviewed by Dr. Shannon Curry as part of her comprehensive pre-evaluation case record…

Catalog entry →
Documents Unclear

Raquel Pennington's deposition testimony and/or declaration.

Catalog entry →
Documents Unclear

Shannon Curry April 26 Testimony (Page 2710, Line 13)

A passage from Shannon Curry's April 26, 2022 trial testimony at page 2710, line 13, concerning the scope of the opinions she had been asked to provide.

Catalog entry →