Surgeon Says Depp’s Sliced Fingertip Due To A Fight With Heard Is “Not Consistent” With Being Cut Off By A Vodka Bottle

Dr. Richard Moore, an orthopedic surgeon, has said the statement that Johnny Depp’s finger was sliced off with a bottle during a fight with Amber Heard in March 2015 is not consistent. He admitted during his 25-year career that he had operated on finger injuries like Depp’s and that there were no injuries to the dorsum of the finger, implying the back of the hand. 

“It’s not consistent with what we see in the described injury pattern or clinical photographs,” Moore, who specialized in hand surgery, told the court.

Heard’s lawyer Benjamin Rottenborn then asked Dr. Moore if the dorsum was the back of the hand like the Dorsal fin on a shark, and he agreed. Not only did Depp look up and pay attention, shaking his head with disbelief, but he was also spotted laughing out loud. The surgeon continued that it didn’t appear the injury happened when Depp’s hand was lying flat on the bar as he claimed.

And added: “In that position, were the bottle to strike the finger, it would have struck on the nail, and the nail was not injured. That’s not consistent with that pattern of injury.” 

The jury was shown graphic photos of Depp’s fingers and X-rays that Dr. Moore said showed several tiny fragments of bone in the tip and a comminuted fracture associated with a crush injury. He explained: “Everyone who caught their finger in a car door; there’s typically bleeding under the bail which creates this hematoma.” Asked if Depp’s description lined up with photo evidence, Dr. Moore insisted NO.

Depp had previously said the bottle exploded after hitting his hand, but Dr. Moore said the absence of glass injuries on his hand opined it wasn’t the case. “This wound doesn’t appear to be a sharp glass laceration.”

Depp’s lawyer Camille Vasquez joined in the cross-examination and asked Dr. Moore if it was not entirely accurate that the actor’s hand was lying flat on the bar. The surgeon responded that Depp’s hand was resting on the bar’s edge. Camille shot back that Depp had said his fingers were hanging over the bar. As Dr. Moore attempted to reply, the lawyer cut him off and said: “That’s not my question Dr. Moore.”

“Is it true Mr. Depp said his fingers were hanging over the bar? Camille asked, and Dr. Moore replied, “Yes.”

The surgeon then added: “I can’t determine which object did it. I can say with confidence the described mechanism of the bottle was not consistent.” Camille cut in and said: “I understand that. My question is very specific.” Dr. Moore again replied: “It’s a little bit more of a non-specific answer. I can’t determine the exact object, but it’s unlikely it was sustained in the manner described.” Camille further pressed the surgeon, and he eventually admitted he couldn’t rule out that a car door caused the injury to Depp’s finger. 

Camille said: “Dr. Moore. I understand that, but this is the time for me to ask you questions. Right now, let’s try my question. You can’t definitely say what caused the injury to Mr. Depp’s finger. Yes, or no? The surgeon replied, “NO.”

To bolster her point, Camille showed the jury photos of the bar area of the property Depp and Heard rented in Australia, where the fight happened. It showed a broken vodka bottle and a bloody tissue with blood drops around it. In response, Dr. Moore stated he had not considered the photos as part of his analysis.