Johnny Depp’s Doctor Describes Drug Hell and Finding ‘Blood on the Wall,’ in Trial Testimony

Johnny Depp hired a doctor to provide 24/7 private treatment for substance abuse. That same doctor was summoned to check on the “Pirates of the Caribbean” star after a violent fight with his then-wife Amber Heard, the doctor said Thursday in a pre-recorded deposition played in court.

Dr. David Kipper, a private addiction specialist who offered personalized services and traveled the world with the star, said he was trying to help Depp detox from alcohol, opioids, benzodiazepines, and cocaine.

Kipper told the court Depp struggled during detox and would get angry with him for insisting that he take his medication. He claimed Depp fired him several times, but would eventually return to treatment.

Kipper said his nurse reported finding Depp with “scraped and bloody knuckles” after punching a wall during a fight with Heard on Depp’s island in the Bahamas. The nurse also reported a frustrated Depp kicked in the door of a trailer on a movie set.

At one point during a visit to Australia, Depp told Kipper he “lost part of a finger” after a violent fight with Heard. Kipper described the incident from March 2015, explaining that Depp texted him to say the tip of his finger had been severed. Kipper said he made a house call to check on Depp who was “coherent,” but the house was a mess and there appeared to be “blood on the wall.”

During opening statements Tuesday, Depp’s attorneys alleged Heard threw a bottle at Depp causing his injured finger. But in Thursday’s taped deposition, Kipper said Depp sent him a text saying he had cut off his own finger while fighting with his wife.

“I cannot live like this. She’s as full of s—t as a Christmas goose,” Kipper said Depp wrote in a text message. “I cut the top of my middle finger off.”

Kipper said he also received a text from Depp saying Heard really wasn’t into her husband.

“She is so desperate for success and fame,” Depp texted him. “That is probably why I was acquired.”

Also Thursday, the court heard from the couple’s therapist who said there was “mutual abuse” in the relationship. During a videotaped deposition from February, Dr. Laurel Anderson detailed Depp and Heard’s therapy sessions between 2015 and 2016. She said the two sought her out for personal and couples’ sessions that sometime led to either Depp or Heard walking out.

During a December 2015 phone call with Anderson, Heard told the therapist she slapped Depp while he was sitting incoherent, Anderson recalled. “She initiated that one because I think she felt demeaned and threatened,” Anderson stated.

Anderson described Depp as a good communicator and said he was forthcoming when given space to speak without interruption. Depp spoke to Anderson about a fight the couple had on Heard’s 30th birthday. Anderson said, “[Depp] talked about how chaotic it was, how violent it was, and she gave as good as she got.”

The court also played testimony from Heard’s former personal assistant Kate James, who worked for the actress between 2012 and 2015. James said in a videotaped deposition that she never witnessed any violence between the couple and never saw Depp mistreat or hit Heard. “If it was true, I would’ve seen the damage even if I wasn’t physically present in the moment of these alleged arguments,” she said.

James described Depp as a “peaceful, shy, quiet” person. She said he was a “Southern gentleman” and “always completely passive.” She added that he was friendly with her young son and taught him to play the guitar. James said she never saw Depp using illegal drugs or abuse alcohol.

“It did not seem like the perfect relationship to me based on a lot of insecurity on her behalf which seemed to cause confusion in the relationship, maybe the age gap was an issue because of their different interests,” James said. “She didn’t like hanging out in his house with his friends because it was boring and they’re all old men playing guitars and it wasn’t interesting to her.”

In contrast to her warm description of Depp, James was critical of her former employer, telling the court that Heard spit in her face, was often intoxicated, was a very dramatic person and verbally abusive, “screaming over the phone, she screamed at me once in person.” James said Heard was also verbally abusive to her own family, and alleged the actress’ mother “was terrified of her.”

Depp’s friend, Gina Deuters was also called to the stand. She testified in-person Thursday for about 20 minutes before the judge dismissed her and struck her testimony from the record after she admitted she’d watched clips of the trial online. Depp’s attorneys claimed they weren’t aware she’d violated the court’s rules before calling her as a witness.

Depp is suing Heard for $50 million claiming she libeled him in a 2018 op-ed piece in the Washington Post, derailing his career. Heard filed a $100 million counterclaim for defamation for statements made by Depp’s attorney Adam Waldman.

Both Depp and Heard are expected to take the stand during the Fairfax, Virginia trial, which is expected to last six weeks.

Anita Bennett contributed to this report.