What did Dr. David Spiegel say about Johnny Depp’s psychological issues?
3 min read
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An expert testified that Johnny Depp appeared to have characteristics of someone who would commit intimate partner violence.
Amber Heard’s team called Dr. David R. Spiegel from Virginia to testify as an expert witness in Depp’s ongoing defamation trial against his ex-wife on Monday. When it comes to intimate partner violence, the physician psychiatrist described how consistently using substances is like “playing with fire.”
Dr. David Spiegel was brought in by Heard’s lawyers as an expert witness and was later questioned by Elaine Bredehoft to favor their arguments against Depp with the psychologist’s assessment of the actor. Meanwhile, Depp’s legal team raised numerous objections to Spiegel’s opinion, questioning him about his experience with the actor’s claims.
WATCH: Dr. Spiegel testifies, "Mr. Depp has behaviors that are consistent with someone that both has substance use disorder as well as behaviors of someone who is a perpetrator of intimate partner violence."#JohnnyDeppVsAmberHeard @LawCrimeNetwork pic.twitter.com/fsWYAABEMr
— Sierra Gillespie (@sierragillespie) May 23, 2022
Furthermore, Spiegel testified that after reviewing the evidence, including Depp’s depositions and other documents, he concluded that the actor’s behavior was consistent with someone who committed intimate partner violence during his relationship with Heard. Spiegel clarified that Depp declined to be evaluated directly by him.
Who is Dr. David Spiegel?
Dr. David Spiegel is a Virginia-based psychiatrist who claims to have treated and worked with thousands of patients, approximately 75% of whom had drug abuse issues. Spiegel is currently a professor at East Virginia Medical School (EVMS). He joined the institute in 2001 after a decade of private practice as a psychiatrist, according to his profile.
Spiegel received his medical degree from the SUNY-Health Science Center in Brooklyn and went on to complete his psychiatry residency at Dartmouth-Hitchcock and Hershey-Penn State. He also holds a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Duke University.
Spiegel is a psychiatrist with multiple board certifications, including a diploma from the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology/Psychiatry. In addition, he was named Virginia Livings’ Top Doctor in 2018.
Heard's next witness is Dr. David Spiegel, a psychiatrist. He testifies he has treated thousands of patients, 75% of which have substance abuse problems.#JohnnyDeppVsAmberHeard @LawCrimeNetwork pic.twitter.com/hmqEnsAoRP
— Sierra Gillespie (@sierragillespie) May 23, 2022
What did Dr. David Spiegel say about Johnny Depp’s mental health issues?
Spiegel implied throughout his testimony that the actor’s behaviour during his relationship with ex-wife Amber Heard was most likely due to substance abuse. Furthermore, Dr. David Spiegel revealed that he attempted to meet and interview the Pirates of the Caribbean star twice in order to better assess the 58-year-old actor but was turned down both times.
Spiegel stated that based on a review of the evidence, clinical experience, publishing experience, and teaching experience, Mr. Depp exhibits behaviors that are consistent with both someone suffering from substance abuse disorder and someone who is a perpetrator of intimate partner violence.
Depp, 58, has previously admitted to using drugs and drinking alcohol, sometimes concurrently, in between bouts of sobriety. According to Spiegel, “chronic and continuous use” can “take a toll” on a person’s behavior and memory. He claims that if someone is experiencing a blackout as a result of drug and alcohol abuse. “It will be nearly impossible to remember what happened the night before.”
The board-certified psychiatrist claimed that he knew Johnny Depp had to be fed lines during some of his film performances during his drug abuse phase. Dr. David Spiegel also suggested that the actor’s memory and “thinking rate” had been compromised.
He claimed Depp’s former therapist instructed him to memorize three words for five minutes and then recite them. The actor, however, was reportedly unable to recall the words.
Ankita Khanrah
Ankita Khanrah is a second-year student of the Master of Communication and Journalism (Integrated) programme at the School of Mass Communication, KIIT Deemed University, Bhubaneswar.
