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The Johnny Depp vs. Amber Heard defamation trial began its final week on Monday, May 23. Psychiatrist Dr David Spiegel took the stand as an expert witness for Heard’s legal team.
Spiegel analyzed Depp’s substance abuse issues and claimed that the actor allegedly showed behaviour patterns similar to perpetrators of intimate partner violence (IPV).
The psychiatrist also mentioned that he made the assessment about substance abuse based on reports of Johnny Depp’s “processing speed” while filming Pirates of the Caribbean. He said:
“Part of that could have been due to the fact that he confessed to doing a movie entirely wasted, so it would be harder to do that.”
Spiegel further alleged that Depp’s processing speed was much lower during Pirates of the Caribbean compared to his current condition during the trial:
“You can tell the processing speed was down. If your thinking rate is down - I'm talking about so slow when we're trying to move onto other questions you're still trying to process the original data passed on to us. Fortunately during this trial I see Mr. Depp's cognition has improved so I commend him on that.”
During cross-examination, Depp’s lawyer Wayne Dennison questioned Spiegel about his statement regarding the actor’s cognitive speech. Dennison challenged Spiegel’s analysis and asked about Depp’s portrayal of characters in other films:
“Willy Wonka doesn't matter to you? You've seen that movie, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, did you look at that one when you were comparing processing speeds?”
The question left Spiegel visibly baffled as he was seen rolling his tongue and rubbing his chin while preparing his answer. The psychiatrist then asked Judge Azcarate:
“Do I have to answer that question, your honour?”
When Judge Azcarate replied that Spiegel was bound to answer the questions, the latter admitted that he had never seen Charlie and the Chocolate Factory:
“No, you'll be happy to know I didn't see Willy Wonka, I didn't see 21 Jump Street when it happened or whatever it was, no I did not.”
Spiegel’s response left Johnny Depp and his lawyer Benjamin Chew completely puzzled, while attorney Camille Vasquez could be seen hiding a laugh when turning her head away from the stand.
Twitter reacts to Dr David Spiegel’s response to Willy Wonka during Johnny Depp vs. Amber Heard defamation trial
The Johnny Depp vs. Amber Heard defamation trial has garnered major attention on social media ever since it began at the Fairfax County Court on April 11. Following the session on Monday, May 23, Heard’s expert witness Dr David Spiegel became the subject of ridicule on social media.
Netizens were left in splits due to Spiegel’s perplexed response to a question about Willy Wonka and his confession of being unfamiliar with Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. Many took to Twitter to react to the situation:
As reactions continue to pour in online, it remains to be seen if Dr Spegiel will address the confusion over Charlie and the Chocolate Factory in the days to come. The Depp vs. Heard defamation trial will resume on Tuesday, May 24. The trial is expected to come to an end on May 27.
