Amber Heard and Johnny Depp Court Case: Amber Heard’s Body Language

Hi friends! Long-time no see! Has anyone else also got invested in the Johnny Depp and Amber Heard case lately? I sure have!

I mean the case is a very complex one and I am sure no one will know what exactly has happened between them fully apart from the two. I am no expert on body language but just wanted to share what I have observed in terms of Amber’s body language and what that might mean in terms of what psychology tells us.

First of all, it is clear that Amber’s presentation has changed from the first day of her testimony as the court case continues. Initially, she was showing a lot more emotion, and appeared to be crying a lot with a lot of facial expressions; her eyebrows rising, pursing a lot etc. Whereas now, she does not seem to cry as much, apart from sniffing her nose and wiping her eyes at times when sensitive topics are discussed.

I have seen some people on social media commenting that her initial presentation and crying were all acting to get the jury to give her some sympathy but as it seemed to be a bit too much and unbelievable, she must have gotten feedback from her lawyers to cry a bit less. Exaggerated facial emotions of sadness and lots of crying may have been an attempt to gain sympathy for sure, but it will definitely do the opposite effect if it is obvious that it is ingenuine.

One could argue that this could also be because on the first days of her testimony she was more anxious, having to sit in front of people who have many ideas about her and possibly not positive ones, hence feeling overwhelmed and more emotional. Gradually, as the same things have been discussed over and over again, she may have become more desensitized to the experience of talking about these things in front of people and reliving them, hence showing fewer emotions later on in the trial.  

Apart from the exaggerated emotions, a lot of the time Amber uses her hands and body to imitate any physical conflict between her and Johnny. This may be something she does in order to make people in the room visualise the incidents that happened and emphasize or even exaggerate Johnny’s physical movements during their arguments, suggesting possible abuse.

There is also something about the fact that she turns around to the jury every single time she answers a question. Even if it is just a ‘yes’ or ‘no’, she will make sure to turn to the jury and look directly at them while saying it. She also drapes her hair to the left side of her face, making sure the jury has a full view of her face from the right side. Eye contact and being able to see someone’s facial expressions when talking are very important when it comes to communication. By doing this, Amber aims to create an emotional bond with the jury, show them respect, seem confident in her answers with a ‘got nothing to hide’ attitude, and show them that she is open and honest with her communication. This may or may not get the jury’s sympathy towards her, but she definitely is trying to get it.

Body and language expert Janine Driver has pointed out something she has noticed as well. For instance, during the psychologist Dr Curry’s testimony, we can observe Amber looking over her shoulder a few times. Janine Driver suggests this is a sign that she is not feeling confident during that moment and is looking over her shoulder, and around the room for a connection with someone to ease her anxiety.

Janine also points out the amount of ‘tutting’ Amber does throughout her testimony, a sign of annoyance and being impatient, and it is ‘out of place for someone who would be telling the truth’.

Did you guys notice anything about Amber’s body language? Do you have any thoughts on the case at all? Let me know in the comments!