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Amber Heard's witness, Dr David Spiegel, opened up about facing the "horrific backlash" that he experienced after testifying for the actress in the witness box.
Spiegel, who testified on May 23 that Johnny Depp displayed "consistent" behavior with someone who is a "perpetrator of intimate partner violence," admitted on cross-examination that he had not met the actor and had relied on court papers and depositions to make his conclusions.
Amber Heard's witness Dr David Spiegel weighs in on the case's aftermath
The psychiatrist opined that Johnny Depp displayed several symptoms of impairment from heavy drug and alcohol usage, citing his use of an earpiece for lines while filming and admitting that he executed a motion that was "entirely wasted."
After his testimony, he was slammed online and has now written an op-ed article recounting his experience in the Newsweek.
In the piece titled, “I Testified in the Heard vs. Depp Trial. The Backlash Has Been Horrific,” he wrote that as a psychiatrist, he has 30 years of experience. Spiegel has previously provided medical malpractice expert witness testimony but never for a high-profile case.
Spiegel worked on the Johnny Depp v Amber Heard case for three years and initially anticipated it would be a closed trial rather than a broadcast affair. He was caught off guard by the public's reaction and was taken aback by the volume and personal character of the insults, which he described as "obviously a little hurtful." He stated:
“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. And, some people have access to my work email, so I’ve gotten four or five charming editorials about myself.”
His WebMD page was also swamped with hundreds of false comments, despite the fact that there had only been a few prior to his testimony.
He took an early vacation, feeling as if he had an "emotional concussion" from criticism that left him "numb and dazed," and was lucky to have support from family, coworkers, and even patients.
"During my career, I have dealt with people who are not guilty of murder by reason of insanity and I’ve dealt with people who are psychotic and have threatened to kill me, and it has never fazed me one iota, but this did. You start realising that it really just takes one person who is not seeing things right.”
Noting the lack of reaction from individuals at the centre of the trial, Spiegel observed that Amber Heard had not spoken about the outrage, although she was the "most vulnerable person" in the aftermath.
Dr David Spiegel also talked about Johnny Depp's supporters and wished Amber Heard well
Talking about Johnny Depp, Spiegel claimed that he would have liked to have seen him "get ahead of this" and also addressed his supporters stating that he understands that they are disgruntled, however:
"But there are ways to express how to be upset."
About Depp getting ahead of the trial, Spiegel further opined:
“The fact that he hasn’t probably says potential volumes about him.”
According to Spiegel, Depp might have moderated fan behaviour and "redirected their emotions." He said that following the verdict, he had received a rude phonecall taken by his staff and an insulting email at work.
While Spiegel's work is secure, he is concerned that the "whole circus around the trial" will have an influence on him professionally.
In terms of the ruling, he expressed disappointment for Amber Heard, whom he believes should have received more support. At a time when she is viewed as a "villainess," he wishes her "emotional healing."
“Never in my life have I been the target of such voluminous amounts of hate, ever. I will process the emotion, but it will always be there; the knowledge that I was on the receiving end of such venom.”
Johnny Depp sued Amber Heard for $50 million over an op-ed article that she wrote in The Washington Post in 2018. In the piece, she claimed that she had been a victim of domestic violence.
