Body Language Expert Analyzes Revealing Amber Heard Cross-Examination Moment in Johnny Depp Trial
Amber Heard’s body language was very revealing during one cross-examination moment in the Johnny Depp v. Heard defamation trial, according to an expert. Body language expert Janine Driver analyzed how long Heard closed her eyes during one point of the cross-examination, which was very telling.
Amber Heard said she couldn’t hurt her ex-husband during Johnny Depp trial
Following the first day of Heard’s cross-examination on May 16, body language expert Driver provided her analysis of a key moment from the trial.
At one point, Heard says, “I could never hurt Johnny.” Driver analyzed Heard’s body language and the significance of the words she said.
Depp’s lawyer, Camille Vasquez, addressed Heard, saying, “You said to Mr. Depp, ‘You can please tell people that it was a fair fight and see what the jury and the judge think. Tell the world, Johnny. Tell them, Johnny Depp, I, Johnny Depp, a man, a victim, too, of domestic violence.'”
Heard confirmed she said it. “I was saying it to the man who beat me up, yes,” she answered. “I thought it was preposterous.”
Vasquez asked, “And the man you beat up, numerous times, right Ms. Heard?”
Heard answered, “I could never hurt Johnny.”
Expert analyzed Amber Heard body language during Johnny Depp trial moment
Driver provided her insight about Heard’s reaction. “We see a 5-second eye close — she does this 5 second eye close,” the expert told CourtTV. “This is instrumental with detecting deception.”
“We had Chris Watts, murdered his pregnant wife Shanann, his two young daughters Celeste and Bella — he did a 1.5 second eye close,” Driver said. “If I asked everyone at home watching to close your eyes for 1.5 seconds while listening or talking, you’ll see how dramatic it is.”
The expert continued, “Amber does 5 seconds. Scott Peterson murdered his wife, pregnant also, 2 second eye close. Then we have 9 seconds — Ted Bundy.”
Driver added, “So she is between a Scott Peterson and a Ted Bundy here. I’d say it’s like a screen saver on your cell phone. That screen saver comes up so you don’t see my private information that I don’t want you to have access to. So she’s telling us she doesn’t want us to have access to it, that’s number one.”
Expert pointed out Heard’s use of ‘minimizing language’ during cross-examination
Driver then looked at Heard’s word choice. “Number two, she uses minimizing language. Amber says ‘I could never hurt Johnny.’ That’s future tense, not ‘I didn’t hurt him’ … the question was not about hurting,” the expert explained. “It was about what … abuse. This is about domestic violence.”
She continued, “When people are lying … I want you to understand, they’ll use minimizing language.”
Driver compared the language to Depp’s during his testimony. “’I could never hurt Johnny’ instead of ‘abuse Johnny.’ Guess why this is significant? Because Johnny Depp, on the stand, said ‘People are saying I’m a wife beater.’ He uses the language,” she explained. “It is unlikely that a truthful person would say ‘wife beater.’”
She added, “We get Johnny on the stand giving us what’s indicative of a truthful person. We’ve got Amber doing the opposite.”
How to get help: In the U.S., call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233 or text START to 88788.
