The Most Disturbing Takeaways From The Depp V Heard Case’s Newly Unsealed Documents

The tide of public opinion could be turning in favour of Amber Heard after newly unearthed court documents surprise even the most devout of Depp’s supporters.

— Content warning: This article contains references to domestic violence and misogynistic language. —

After a lengthy and televised defamation trial that finished up in June, spawning what The New York Times referred to as ‘TikTok’s Amber Heard Hate Machine‘, previously sealed court documents have been made public, with the judge stating: “In this matter, both litigants sued one another, thereby opening themselves up to the public forum of a jury trial. Court records are public information”.

Over the weekend, The Daily Beast published a deep dive into the documents. However, the 6000+ pages of evidence appear more damning of Depp than Heard.

The Documents Reportedly Suggested That Media Depp Submitted Into Evidence Had Been Edited

Heard’s team reportedly argued that metadata pulled from the photos and videos Depp submitted as evidence had been messed with.

According to The Daily Beast, Heard’s legal team said “the items were ‘Modified’ days before their production in this case”; that Depp “produced multiple partial audio recordings that begin and end in the middle of a sentence”; and that metadata “indicates the recordings were created in September 2015 and then modified in June 2016, and again one day before their production, but Depp only produced the modified version. This raises significant concerns of manipulation, alteration, and deletion”.

Some of these photos showed apparent bruising and scratches on Depp’s face, which his team alleged were Heard’s doing. Heard’s lawyers also engaged forensic expert Julian Ackhert who reportedly said Depp handed up evidence that contained “anomalies that call into question the authenticity of the multimedia documents”.

These allegations contradict the popular narrative that it was in fact Heard who was manipulating photos of herself to show injuries on her face and body that didn’t exist. Notably, The Daily Beast says that Ackert said in court that the photos Heard submitted, showing her bruises, were originals.

Depp Allegedly Tried To Submit Heard’s Nudes As Evidence

According To The Daily Beast, Depp wanted to submit evidence nude photos of Heard to the court, along with photos of her in former romantic relationships, and evidence that she was at one point an “exotic dancer” and “escort”.

Depp Reportedly Said That Heard Hadn’t Caused Him Harm

While a public narrative abounds of Heard being physically abusive towards Depp, the unsealed documents reportedly also indicate that Depp says Heard never caused him any physical or mental harm. Depp’s team apparently said he didn’t need to go through a psychiatric or medical examination, stating: “Mr Depp is not alleging harm based on a specific physical or mental injury”.

Also reported in the article is that Depp’s lawyers say that Heard did not cause him “severe emotional distress”.

Depp’s Text Exchanges With Marilyn Manson

The Daily Beast also suggests that Depp’s team did not want his connection with Marilyn Manson to be mentioned in court, as it could make him seem guilty by association.

According To Vanity Fair, texts between the two men banned from evidence included one from 2016 in which Manson allegedly wrote, “I got an amber 2.0” apparently in reference to his wife, Lindsay Usich. In another, he supposedly wrote, “Lindsay just pulled an amber on me…please delete.”

Depp reportedly texted back writing: “I been reading A LOT of material on that and sociopathic behaviour… It is fucking real, my brother!!! My ex-cunt is goddam TEXTBOOK!!!”

According to OK Magazine, a text from Manson also read: “I got a serious police amber type scenarios with L’s family.”

Manson has previously been accused of grooming by ex-wife Evan Rachel Wood and is himself suing Wood for defamation.

Read the full Daily Beast report here.

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