Amber Heard has been diagnosed with two personality disorders by a clinical psychologist.
Dr Shannon Curry previously conducted an evaluation on the actress and has told a courtroom in Fairfax, Virginia – where Heard is facing a defamation case brought by her ex-husband, Johnny Depp – that she has Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) and Histrionic Personality Disorder (HPD).
Dr Curry – who was called to testify by Depp’s legal team, having been initially hired to review files in the case – said: “The results of Ms. Heard’s evaluation supported two diagnoses: Borderline Personality Disorder and Histrionic Personality Disorder.”
The expert revealed that her role in the case changed in October, when she was asked to provide a psychological evaluation of the 36-year-old actress.
Dr Curry also observed that Heard had “grossly exaggerated” her post-traumatic stress disorder after her split from the Hollywood actor.
The psychologist noted, too, that Heard’s BPD was characterised by an “underlying terror of abandonment”, which can prompt people to make “desperate attempts” to prevent it from happening.
Dr Curry explained: “You’ll see relationships start very intensely, extremely close.
“This might be their perfect soulmate and initially everything seems great but reality sets in, people are not perfect.
“Most of us accept people as a whole, [but] with a person with BPD, things are in these extremes, that person goes from being idealised to dumpster, they are totally devalued, they’re the worst … then there will be a repair because the person with this disorder does feel remorse.”
Heard was a “sophisticated” and “calculated” case of BPD, according to Dr Curry.
The expert – who was not asked to provide the same evaluation for Depp – explained in court: “They take on the personality of the people they want to be around. The way they dress. Interest. The way they talk.”
The trial is expected to last for another five to six weeks.
