'Tell the truth': Jennifer Howell's testimony seriously damages Amber Heard's case
A former friend of Amber Heard's sister Whitney Henriquez said that she is "doing something very wrong" as she continues to support her sister's allegations of abuse against Johnny Depp. Jennifer Howell, CEO and founder of The Art of Elysium, testified in court that she 'loved' Heard's sister Henriquez but is of the opinion that her former employee is "trying to protect her sister."
Howell, who used to be Henriquez's boss and friend, revealed that she sent an email to her in July 2020 asking her to "tell the truth." She testified, "I struggled very much with what to do in a situation that I loved someone."
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Howell continued, "[Henriquez], who I know is doing something very wrong and I know that they’re doing it because they’re trying to protect their sister and I’m trying to protect her," as she spoke of the email. She added, "And I’m just trying to get her to wake up and do the right thing which is tell the truth. That’s the only thing that can help everyone involved in this thing."
Henriquez had said in court that Depp struck her in the back, threw a can of Red Bull at a friend, and then grabbed Heard by her hair before he proceeded to trash Heard's closet. The incident allegedly took place inside the former couple's apartment. Henriquez has also claimed Depp made her sign a non-disclosure agreement. Howell, however, added that Henriquez did not sign any papers and moved to her place soon.
In court on Tuesday, May 24, Howell testified that she never saw Depp consuming any type of illegal drugs or excessive amounts of alcohol and that he never appeared to be intoxicated. Heard never told her that Depp was abusive or showed her photos of the aftermath of the alleged abuse, she clarified. She also shared how in 2018 she received an anonymous check for $250,000 for her non-profit organization as an honor to Amber Heard. She assumed the donor was Elon Musk.
Depp is suing his ex-wife Heard over an op-ed she wrote in The Washington Post where she called herself 'a public figure representing domestic abuse.' Even though Depp was not named in the article, the actor has claimed it has cost him several opportunities in Hollywood. The op-ed was titled, "I spoke up against sexual violence – and faced our culture’s wrath. That has to change”.
Amber Heard is countersuing for $100m, accusing Depp of orchestrating a “smear campaign” against her and describing his lawsuit as a continuation of “abuse and harassment”.