Psychiatrist Who Testified For Heard Says He’s Suffered 'Emotional Concussion' From Trial Backlash

The psychiatrist who testified that Johnny Depp showed 'narcissistic' traits claims he has suffered an 'emotional concussion' from the backlash.

In what was one of the most talked about court cases in recent times, the Pirates of the Caribbean actor was able to prove that the 2018 article written by his ex-wife, Amber Heard, was defamatory and was awarded $15 million (£12 million) by the jury, later capped at $10.35 million by Judge Penny Azcarate.

In a separate verdict, Heard was also awarded two million dollars (£1.6 million) in damages via a counterclaim.

During the trial, Heard's legal team put Dr David Spiegel, a psychiatrist and physician, to the stand on 23 May to fight her case.

Heard’s attorney, Elaine Bredehoft, asked Spiegel to comment on the psychologist profile of those who suffered and perpetrated IPV and whether or not they were consistent with Depp's behaviour.

Credit: Law and Crime Network

He said: “In my opinion – based on my review of the evidence, based on my clinical experience, based on my publishing experience, based on my teaching experience – that Mr. Depp has behaviours that are consistent with both someone who has a substance use disorder as well as behaviours of someone who is a perpetrator of intimate partner violence."

However, since testifying, the psychiatrist has now revealed the negative backlash he has received from Johnny Depp fans via an op-ed for Newsweek titled: “I Testified in the Heard vs. Depp Trial. The Backlash Has Been Horrific.”

He wrote: "I drove to my hotel and around an hour later, at about 4pm, my wife called me and said, 'Listen, I don't want you to look at what's being said'.

"I asked her how horrific it was, and she told me it was pretty bad.

"I'm not a social media expert, far from it, so I didn't expect the whole horrific post-trial backflow.

"It's been a little stunning for me.

"The volume of it, from the personal attacks on who I am and what I present like, to what I look like and say, was obviously a little hurtful.

"I deal with people for a living, so I tried to understand where people were coming from.

"It's what a psychiatrist does.

"But the comments below the YouTube videos of me have been vile."

Credit: Alamy

Spiegel added: "I'm an adult, it's not the first time I've been criticised, but never like that. On that Monday and Tuesday I had what I'd describe as an emotional concussion.

"It wasn't physical, I didn't get hit on the head, it was emotional because the feedback afterwards left me a little on the numb and dazed side. I slept a lot on Monday and Tuesday."

He went on to say: "I would have liked Mr. Depp to get ahead of this and to have said, 'Listen, I understand you are upset, but there are ways to express how to be upset'.

"The fact that he hasn't probably says potential volumes about him. Ms. Heard hasn't come out and said anything either, but my opinion is that she is the most vulnerable person in this situation."

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