The ongoing court battle between Amber Heard and Johnny Depp continues to take unexpected twists and turns and now, Heard is requesting that the court require Depp to undergo a mental health evaluation. According to a report from The Blast, Heard is requesting an independent mental evaluation of Depp, claiming in documents that Depp’s mental condition was a key component in the alleged abuse she suffered.
According to Heard’s legal filing, they are questing the mental evaluation because “mental conditions in combination with his rampant use of alcohol and drugs were inextricably intertwined with the abuse she suffered at his hands.”
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“Johnny’s relationship with reality oscillates, depending upon his interaction with alcohol and drugs,” the filing continues. “As Johnny’s paranoia, delusions, and aggression increases throughout our relationship so has my awareness of his continued substance abuse.”
Depp’s lawyers have filed their own motions regarding the request, arguing that the Depp’s current mental health would have little bearing on the issues of the case.
“This is a defamation case in which Mr. Depp does not allege that he suffers from any mental disorder or condition,” the filings read. “Thus, Mr. Depp’s mental condition is not ‘in controversy’ nor does good cause exist under the rule for an IME of Mr. Depp. It is preposterous notion that an IME now would shed light on Mr. Depp’s mental state at the time of Ms. Heard’s abuse hoax back in 2016. Ms. Heard’s effort treads a well-worn path of victim blaming using the pretext of mental health. By Ms. Heard’s tortured credibility logic, current IME’s would also be warranted for all the dozens of eyewitnesses who have attested to the various facets of the hoaxes they witnessed years ago.”
Heard’s request for an independent mental examination is just the latest development in the increasingly complex case and comes just a few days after Heard was granted access to Depp’s mental health records. The court had ordered Heard access to the records associated with the case, but according to The Blast, Heard had to file an emergency motion to force their actual release, claiming that Depp’s attorney did not authorize the records’ release.
Heard and Depp married in 2015. Heard filed for divorce in May 2016 and obtained a temporary restraining order against Depp, alleging that the actor had been verbally and physically abusive during their relationship. Since then, Depp has been mired in legal issues and earlier this year, Depp filed a $50 million defamation lawsuit against Heard following a 2018 op-ed for the Washington Post that Heard wrote documenting her abuse without naming the actor.
