Did Amber Heard fake PTSD? Psychologist says actress GROSSLY EXAGERRATED symptoms
A forensic psychologist who evaluated Amber Heard last year has testified in court that the actress does NOT have post-traumatic stress disorder — something that Heard has claimed she suffers from as a result of alleged abuse during her marriage to Johnny Depp. On Tuesday, April 27, psychologist Shannon Curry said PTSD is one of the easiest psychological conditions to fake. Curry instead diagnosed the 'Aquaman' star as suffering from two personality disorders — borderline personality disorder and histrionic personality disorder — that would explain her hostile actions towards Depp.
Curry, who was hired to review Heard and Depp's relationship, stated that her diagnosis came from examination of Heard’s previous psychological assessments, coupled with direct examination on two occasions in December 2021, and participation in a Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI) test. She also analyzed recordings and other documentation her lawyers provided.
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Curry flatly refuted claims Heard suffers from PTSD. “It is one of the most easily faked disorders... Most of us know what it feels like to feel anxious, and a lot of people have seen war movies and movies that depict somebody having PTSD,” she said.
Applying that to Heard, Curry was categorical. “Ms. Heard did not have PTSD,” she said. “And there were also pretty significant indications that she was grossly exaggerating symptoms of PTSD when asked about them.”
Of the core 20 symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder, Curry said, Heard claimed to have had 19 of them. “That’s not typical of even somebody with the most disabling form of PTSD,” she said.
A forensic psychologist hired by #JohnnyDepp testified that #AmberHeard does not have PTSD and stated that she "grossly" exaggerated symptoms. @LawCrimeNetwork pic.twitter.com/wzGCJFHP7j
— Law&Crime Network (@LawCrimeNetwork) April 26, 2022
Curry also said that Heard displayed a “reactive”, “overly dramatic presentation” and used words like “magical” and “wonderful” to describe events. Heard flitted between “princess and victim”, Curry claimed.
“(There is) a tendency to be very self-righteous but to also deny that self-righteousness and to judge others critically against these high standards. They could use manipulation tactics to try and get their needs met, very needy of attention, approval, and acceptance. They tend to distance people who are close to them. Initially, they may seem very charming. They’re very socially sophisticated actually.”
Curry went on to say that the instability of a borderline personality disorder might be fueled by a ‘fear of abandonment.’ She explained, “When someone is afraid of being abandoned by their partner or by anyone else…they will make desperate attempts to prevent that from happening. Oftentimes their partners will try to make them happy at first and allow themselves to be a punching bag, thinking that they can somehow solve this problem…eventually it just overwhelms them.”
Forensic psychologist talking about people with BPD as she has diagnosed #AmberHeard:
— Cathy Russon (@cathyrusson) April 26, 2022
They are very interested in looks.
They utilize their looks to get the attention they're seeking. #JohnnyDepp v #AmberHeard @LawCrimeNetwork pic.twitter.com/ZM3HQ63SUI
Curry then added that one of the ‘hallmark characteristics’ of a histrionic personality disorder was ‘dramatic presentation,’ which Heard exhibited. “When people are displaying these emotions with this personality disorder, there’s a sense of shallowness to it. People who are observing them will feel like it’s almost play-acting. This disorder involves extreme discomfort with not being the centre of attention, extreme efforts to be the centre of attention, When they feel they’re not the centre of attention you will see some strange things (like) making up stories to try and get attention (or) taking on the victim or princess role. Those are two roles in particular that are pretty consistent," she remarked.
During cross-examination, Heard's attorneys questioned Curry about her potential bias, given that she was employed by Depp and had dinner and drinks with the actor and his legal team before her hiring, on which Curry said that this had been part of the interview process. Earlier, In his own testimony, Depp claimed that he, not Heard, was the victim of violence, recounting many incidents in which the actress threw things at him. Heard is also expected to take the stand in the trial, which is taking place at the Fairfax County District Courthouse in Virginia, and is expected to last a total of seven weeks.