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Clinical psychologist Dr Dawn Hughes's WebMD profile was flooded with negative reviews after her testimony, supporting Amber Heard's claims of having suffered domestic violence while married to Johnny Depp. The negative comments have since been deleted.
Hughes happens to be a forensic psychologist accredited by the American Board of Professional Psychology (ABPP) in New York City, USA. During the trial in Fairfax, Hughes was called as the first defense witness for Heard in the ongoing defamation suit filed by Depp.
While testifying on May 3, the doctor stated that she had earlier diagnosed the Aquaman actress with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). According to her evaluation, Heard had indeed experienced intimate partner violence during her marriage to Depp.
While she was on the stand giving her testimony in favor of Heard, an online WebMD profile featuring Hughes' name and professional details was flooded with negative comments. However, it is unclear if the profile actually belonged to her.
As per NBC News, many reviewers criticized Hughes for being sexist and unethical since she appeared to be biased against males in situations of domestic abuse. Per the publication, one review said:
"bad energy, vicious and hates men. ... this review was created by a woman."
Some reviewers wrote that Hughes did not acknowledge that men could also be victims of domestic violence.
"Doesn't believe men can be victims of abuse. Extreme biased. Guess she'll discredit victims just for money."
Some reviews included curse words and derogatory language towards Heard and Dr Dawn Hughes.
As of May 10, however, all the reviews on the doctor's page are gone and there are no comments.
What did Dr. Dawn Hughes testify in the trial?
After Johnny Depp's legal team finished presenting their evidence on May 3, Dr. Hughes was called upon as the first witness to testify in favor of Amber Heard.
Dr Dawn Hughes revealed that her diagnosis of Heard supported the latter's claims of suffering emotional and physical abuse during her marriage. According to her, she drew the conclusions based on several factors that reflect the dynamics of Heard's relationship with Depp. For example, Depp's coercive mistreatment, such as attempting to restrict Heard's dress or job choices, was an important point to consider.
"Looking at the coercive control, the obsessive jealousy, the possessiveness, the sexual violence, the choking behavior, the threats to kill, those are all, as I stated, very significant and often found in cases of lethal domestic violence."
Heard, during her testimony, accused Depp of s*xually assaulting her with a vodka bottle during their stay in Australia. According to Dr. Dawn Hughes, Heard also claimed that Depp kicked her on a plane ride to Los Angeles after being jealous of her work relationship with James Franco.
Defamation trial is currently on a halt and will resume soon
The trial for Johnny Depp's defamation lawsuit against his ex-wife Amber Heard is currently on a halt due to Judge Penny Azcarate being unavailable for some time. The trial is scheduled to resume on May 16.
The trial, which began on April 11, will reportedly conclude on May 27, and will continue to be telecasted live during the sessions.
According to sources, the trial was halted owing to certain commitments made by the presiding Judge Azcarate earlier. According to several outlets, the Judge is scheduled to attend a conference during this time frame, necessitating the postponement of the trial procedures.
Depp is suing Amber Heard for $50 million in damages in connection to a 2018 op-ed piece she wrote for The Washington Post, in which she stated that she had become a "public figure representing domestic abuse."
Although Depp was never mentioned by name in the article, his attorneys claim that it alludes to the claims she made against him during their 2016 divorce. Heard is suing Depp for $100 million in response.
