Psychiatrist Who Labeled Depp’s Behaviors As ‘Narcissistic’ Says He’s Suffering ‘Emotional Concussion’

Dr. David Spiegel appeared as an expert witness for Johnny Depp vs. Amber Heard defamation trial that was held for six weeks in Virginia. The psychologist was invited by Heard’s team and testified as a practicing psychiatrist, and signed to be on the case in 2019.

But after appearing in the high-profile case that was streamed for the public to watch, Dr. Spiegel experienced a massive backlash from the public for what he said. He appeared on the stand on May 23 and answered a series of questions from Elaine Bredehoft, Heard’s lawyer.

Bredehoft inquired whether Depp’s behaviors were familiar based on the physician’s years of observing and dealing with IPV perpetrators.

Dr. Spiegel answered her, “In my opinion – based on my review of the evidence, based on my clinical experience, based on my publishing experience, based on my teaching experience – that Mr. Depp has behaviors that are consistent with both someone who has a substance use disorder as well as behaviors of someone who is a perpetrator of intimate partner violence.” 

Now, two weeks after his appearance, Depp came out as the victor of the lawsuit, with Heard owing him $8.35 million for compensation.

He wrote a piece in Newsweek expressing how criticisms and negativity continued to be aimed at him since his testimony.

In the piece titled “I Testified in the Heard vs. Depp Trial. The Backlash Has Been Horrific,” he wrote, “I was a little uneasy about being on national television. What I couldn’t prepare for was the reaction from the public.”

“I drove to my hotel, and around an hour later, at about 4 pm, my wife called me and said, ‘Listen, I don’t want you to look at what’s being said,'” he recalled. His wife told him that “it was pretty bad,” and as someone who’s not an avid social media user, it was “a little stunning.”

“The volume of it, from the personal attacks on who I am and what I present like, to what I look like and say, was obviously a little hurtful,” wrote Dr. Spiegel.

“I deal with people for a living, so I tried to understand where people were coming from. It’s what a psychiatrist does. But the comments below the YouTube videos of me have been vile. And, some people have access to my work email, so I’ve gotten four or five charming editorials about myself.”

“I’m an adult, it’s not the first time I’ve been criticized, but never like that.”

“On that Monday and Tuesday I had what I’d describe as an emotional concussion. It wasn’t physical, I didn’t get hit on the head, it was emotional because the feedback afterwards left me a little on the numb and dazed side.”

“I slept a lot on Monday and Tuesday,” shared the man. “I would have liked Mr. Depp to get ahead of this and to have said, ‘Listen, I understand you are upset, but there are ways to express how to be upset.'”

“The fact that he hasn’t probably says potential volumes about him. Ms. Heard hasn’t come out and said anything either, but my opinion is that she is the most vulnerable person in this situation.”

“I would say to people who have attacked me that, just like they don’t know Mr. Depp, they don’t know me.”