Welcome to court 38 of the Royal Courts of Justice for Day 6 of the Johnny Depp v NGN libel trial at the UK. He is suing the publisher of the The Sun newspaper for libel after it claimed he was a “wife-beater”

[goes to texts from 17 Dec between AH and Paige Heard (her mum)]
PH “I can be there tomorrow”
AH sent three attached files
PH “send the pictures and nothing else I love you so damn much I would do anything for you. your dad sent Steve a scathing message.” [we’ve seen this b4]

“your dad sent Steve a scathing text message... your dad's blood isboiling." Ms. Heard said: "Did dad see the pictures? Yes, he went through my messages to you...

… his e-mail was very good and I will send it to you as he is on his phone. Finishes its update. It is a good reaction. J immediately texted back."

Judge intervenes and asks Ms Wass to ask a question.
QC can you think of any reason why AH would contact her lover, sending photos of her injuries if she had not had those injuries
SM I don;’t know why anyone would do this
QC an alt scenario to your evidence is that AH had...

… two black eyes coming up, a cut to her lip and welts to her scalp
SM I did not see anything like that on her
QC you saw her on 24 May 2016 and your evidence is that you did not see any marks on her neck when you saw her then.

[we go to a file]

Judge can you confirm it is a picture of AH
SM it looks like her yes
QC can you see a mark on her right cheek
SM in this picture barely
QC barely? Are you saying there is a red mark and it’s difficult to see, or that there isn’t red mark?
SM faint mark
[we go to a new file]

QC can you see whether there is a mark in this photo
SM no
QC I’m going to get a better quality photo shown to you on the screen
Judge the photo you are being asked about is being projected onto the screen.
SM I can see it

QC was that a better quality photo than the one in your bundle?
SM yes
QC can you see the reddening to her face
SM it was a little bit red
QC did you see the mark above the eyebrow too?
SM a little mark, yes

[we see a new full face photo of AH’s right hand side]
QC did you see a mark
SM yes
QC those photos were taken on 21 May and you saw her on the 24th.
QC do you still maintain you saw her on the 24th without injury.
SM I saw her nothing but her beautiful skin
QC was she wearing

… make up?
SM not that I could see
QC. you have come to court to be less than truthful and give evidence that will help JD who is very important to your career
SM I have no reason to do that.
[no further qs from QC]
[DS on his feet]
DS we’ll start on the Dec 2015 incident

DS you were shown photos which QC were injuries. Do you know how when and in what circs those photos were taken?
SM I have no way of knowing that
DS in your witness statement you say “I spent much of the afternoon and early evening with AH, preparing her to appear on the James...

… Corden show. I saw her in good light, close range and without her wearing make up. I saw she had no cuts, bruises or any injuries to her face or any other part of her body.
SM correct
DS If you saw AH’s face looking like you saw it in those photos would you have given the...

… evidence you did
SM no I would not
DS do you want to change your evience of that day at all
SM no my memory remains clear
DS did you see anything in the text messages you were show which might cause you to change your evidence
SM no I didn't

DS you said she said to you “can you believe I did that show with two black eyes” did you hug her during before or after that statement
SM in my memory she said it as she was coming towards me to give me a hug

DS an in your statement you say that although she said that to you she had no black eyes and was visibly uninjured throughout the day that you saw her. Has your evidence changed at all
SM no
DS so you went to a text from AH to Jody Gottlieb - her publicist and then texts ...

… between AH and Nurse Berham.
and we know there was a conversation with NB on the night of the James Corden show on 16 Dec - when the nurse goes to see AH the next day on the 17th and states: client says head is bruised and she has had hair pulled out, but the nurse is unable

… to see the bruises. Why would a nurse lie about seeing no bruises
SM I can’t think of any reason why anyone would do that
DS you were asked why AH might want to do something
DS can you read minds Ms M?
Judge - I think this is coming close to facetious

DS okay well did AH confide in you about any of her conditions?
SM no she did not

DS you had a meeting when you turned up on 24 May she had no idea you were coming
SM I was there first
DS so just to get this clear. You are in JD’s house in West Hollywood and AH turns up. AH doesn’t know you are there
SM no
DS and you say she wasn’t wearing...

… make up and you say without the benefit of make-up she had just her usual beautiful skin.
SM that’s correct
DS do you want to change your evidence about what you saw on 24 May
SM my memory remains the same, so no
DS did you get a clear look at her?
SM yes we were by the...

… kitchen door where the light was coming in.
DS did she refer to any injuries?
SM no
DS did she say she’d been beaten up by JD?
SM she said nothing like that
DS I want to aks you about a response to your WS by AH
Judge - does this arise out of xe?
DS no but AH will...

… challenge Ms M’s statement without her being able to challenge that.

[legal argument ensues]

Whilst the legal argument is going on I’ll try to bash out SM’s WS:

I. I am a freelance stylist, represented by the agency the Wall Group. For a period of time I
served as a stylist to Ms Amber Heard, helping her to get ready to appear at major events.

5. On December 16th, 2015, I spent much of the afternoon and early evening with Ms Heard, preparing her to appear on the James Corden show. I saw her throughout the day of December 16th, 2015, in good light, at close range, wearing no makeup.

Throughout the day of December 16th, 2015, I could see clearly that Ms Heard did not have any visible marks, bruises, cuts, or injuries to her face or any other part of her body. She appeared as a guest on the James Corden show that day.

6. After the show, Ms Heard said to me "can you believe I just did that show with two black eyes?". Ms Heard did not have any black eyes, and had been visibly uninjured throughout the day and at that moment.

I later learned that Ms Heard had accused Mr Depp, in court filings and the media, of violently abusing her the previous night, December 15"', 2015.

7. As I was leaving Ms Heard's company on December 16th, 2015, I overheard Ms Heard say to her friend Raquel Pennington, who came to the show with her, "make sure to get those
pictures onto my computer," although I did not know to what photos she was referring.

8. Five months later, on May 24th, 2016, I interacted closely with Ms Heard in Mr Depp's house in West Hollywood. I went to the house in the afternoon, and encountered Ms Heard. Ms Heard was not wearing makeup. There were no visible marks, bruises, cuts, or injuries to her

face or any other part of her body. I saw her by the kitchen door during daylight in Mr Depp's house. She gave me a hug, crying. After hugging me, she began to have an intense conversation in Spanish with Mr Depp's housekeeper, Hilda Vargas.

9. Three days after my encounter with Ms Heard, on May 27th, 2016, I saw in the media that Ms Heard had gone to Court with prominent injuries visible on her face. I knew that she did not have those marks on her face May 24th, 2016 when I was with her, and I knew from news

reports that she claimed those injuries occurred when Mr Depp supposedly violently abused her on May 21't, 2016. I was also aware that Mr Depp left Los Angeles on May 22"d, 2016. I therefore knew that Mr Depp could not have caused those marks that Ms Heard appeared

with in court on May 27th, 2016.

ENDS

[legal argument ongoing]

[and we’re back in the room]
DS is taking SM to a picture of AH filming the late late show with James corden. Is it her?
SM yes it is

DS and you can see photos of her face and mouth - how would you describe her face and complexion there
SM it looks normal and beautiful to me

DS finally this, you were asked if you had a conflict of loyalty to AH - which would win. I want to ask you a different question. Where there was a conflict between your loyalty to JD and you having to lie to this court, which would win.
SM I would not commit perjury for anyone..

… friends or family or anyone.
[no further questions]
[SM leaves]
[poopgate looms]

Stills of AH on the James Corden show

Hilda Vargas and her interpreter are being sworn in. HV is the cleaner who found the poo in the bed.

HV is in LA with her interpreter. She is wearing a black jacket with brass buttons and white shirt and trousers. She is wearing half-rimmed glasses, a gold necklace and and has her hair scraped back in clips behind her head. In her early to mid-50s, I would say.

HV is confirming her Witness statement is her WS and that it is true.

Okay here goes.

QC you have been employed by JD for 30 years
HV yes ma’am
QC as a housekeeper
HV yes madam
QC was it your routine to clean in the morning at Sweetzer Avenue and then go to the Eastern Colombia vuilding in the afternoon

HV confirms
QC and on afternoon of 22 April 2016 you attended ECB
HV yes
QC and there was no one there
HV no
QC did you see JD in the morning
HV don’t recall
QC you say in the upper level of PH3 where JD slept with AH
SM yes
QC the premises were extremely messy - your words

HV yes the master bedroom
QC yes, miuch more messy than you’d seen it before
HV yes madaam
QC things knocked over, broken glass on the floor
HV si señora
QC were you aware of where JD was at that stage?
HV no

QC there came a time when it was pointed out to you that there was a pile of faeces in the bed
HV yes
QC and you were understandably horrified and disgusted
HV si señora
QC now JD and AH had two small dogs
HV si señora
QC one smaller than the other
HV si señora

QC the smaller dog was called pistol and the larger dog was called Boo
HV si señora
QC and boo had a number of accidents in terms of spoiling the flat
HV on the floor
QC and you had never known either dog defecate in the bed had you
HV no madam
QC because they were so small...

…. they couldn’t jump onto the bed on their own and the only way they could get on the bed is if they were lifted up and put. on the bed
HV si señora
QC because you had had no experience of the dogs defecating in the bed, you formed the view it was human faeces in the bed

HV yes because of it’s size
QC yes and the size and the fact that the dogs could only get on the bed by being lifted up is what caused you to form that opinion
HV si señora
QC did you know AH was away at the time
HV she wasn’t there - only the cleaners were there

QC did you know AH was away from the home for more than a day
HV that day was a Friday - we arrived around 3pm - those faeces were fresh from the night or early morning

QC I think you were angry having found the faeces in the bed and it was your view no doubt that this was way beyond the duties that you were expected too perform
HV a lack of respect
QC and you reported the matter to Kevin Murphy
HV si señora
QC was he your line manager?

HV si señora
QC and you took photographs of the faeces to prove to him it had happened and why you felt entitled or justified to be angry
HV yes because after so many years working for this family I’d never had to do that type of thing
QC did AH have very good personal hygiene

HV same as any regular individual at home
QC I am suggesting to you that AH was a very clean person - she kept herself clean
HV an ordinary individual
QC she had good personal hygiene better personal hygiene that JD
HV that I cannot confirm

QC you spent a lot of time talking to AH who spoke fluent Spanish
HV we would converse very little
QC in Spanish
HV yes
QC on the 24th May in the morning you were at JD’s West Hollywood home and AH came over with Raquel Pennington
HV si senora
QC and RP lived in the ECB

QC and you saw her at the Sweetzer Av house and you were surprised to see AH there because she lived at the ECB
HV yes
QC and at that time JD would spend most of his time at the Sweetzer Av building and AH would use the ECB - they were separate a lot of the time?
HV no madam

QC are you suggesting they spent every night together
HV no he was separated from her in April? I don’t recall the date, but he was not the whole month away from her
QC from the beginning of 2016 they were apart a lot
HV that I don’t know madam

QC on the 24th May AH came to the SA house
HV yes sir
QC and you have said in your WS that you saw no bruises or marks on her face of any kind. She did not appear to be wearing any make up
HV she did not have any marks on her face
QC how are you so sure she was not wearing make..

… up
HV her face was very clean it was very pale
QC you hadn’t seen her at the SA property for several weeks
HV si
QC and you know AH is a well-known actress
HV si
who is regularly photographed when she leaves her house or flat
HV that I don’t know madam

QC she never left her home without makeup she always had makeup on
HV she was not wearing make up on that day
QC have you been asked to put that in her statement
HV nobody requested anything from me
QC how close were you to AH on the 24th May?
HV [indicates about 4 feet]

QC did you have a lot of contact with her that day?
HV she called me to the sitting room because she wanted to talk to me about the photographs
QC she was upset the faeces had been left in the bed
HV yes madam I know she was upset at the photographes
QC she was upset...

… that you had to deal with such a thing because it was a lack of respect for you.
QC you said at the end of you statement you said you often heard AH yell at JD and other people
QC and you say that she had a bad temper
HV in my opinion

QC what had she ever done to you
Judge notes he wants this xe wrapped up soon - we are over time
QC my last q - you say you have never seen JD be physical with or yell at anyone
HV never in the years that I’ve been working for him. Not at all
QC never seen him shout...

HV I won’t make a comment in that regard
QC I’m asking you to. Have you seen him shout
HV no
QC have you seen him kick obecjts
HV never
QC have you seen him punch objects or smash glass
HV no
QC have you ever seen him drunk
HV don’t want to make any comment
QC I’m asking you to.

HV I have seen him have a glass of wine,
QC have you ever seen under the influence of illegal drugs
HV no
QC you have come to the court to give a character reference for Mr Depp which is untrue
HV I have a work schedule I dont’ spend all the time with him
QC but you’ve...

… worked for him for 30 years and you have come here to support him
HV I have a work schedule and I don’t spend all my nights with him.
[no further questions]
DS on his feet
DS you have told the court that yo knew perfectly well that the faeces that you found on the bed...

…. did not come from those two minature dogs. I am going to show you your WS because that is your evidence in this case. Par 7
"I pulled back the top sheet on the bed and saw a large pile of faeces. I was horrified and disgusted...

… it was clear to me that this was human faeces.”
HV si señor
DS “I knew that the faeces could not have come from either of JD and AH’s two small dogs”
HV yes sir
DS “I have cleaned up after thos dogs many times and their faeces are much smaller”
HV si

DS "furthermore I have never known those two dogs to defecate in the bed”
HV si señor
DS “and you were asked by Ms Wass whether those statements were true or not”
HV they are true
DS does that remain your evidence or not
HV it is my evidence

[we move onto 24 May]
DS when AH asked you to come into the living room to speak to her, did you have a conversation with her face-to-face?
HV Face to face
DS and you told use she was as far away from you as your interpreter (about 4 feet)
HV that is the distance

DS throughout the conversation did you or did you not have a clear look at her face
HV yes I could see her face
DS was she wearing make-up or not
HV no
DS did you see any bruise or any mark or injury
HV no sir I didn’t see anything

DS it’s been suggested to you HV that you have been asked by JD to come to court and to lie on oath.
HV No
DS What do you have to say about that
HV I don’t understand
[no further questions]

Because it was done slowly and through an interpreter you can take the HV evidence from these tweets as 97% verbatim.

[last bit of legal argument for the day… couldn’t hear what Ms Wass was asking for]

JD is stting at the back of court on his own.

There are only 9 people on the floor of the courtroom (we have now got the view from the judge’s bench)

Courts for cases like this are usually packed, but cos of social distancing there is an overspill court for lawyers.

Judge has risen Johnny Depp stands up and starts looking away from the camera, possibly at the books of law on the shelf behind him. The feed is cut. We will now be kicked out of court.

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I will paste Hilda Vargas’ statement into twitter as soon as I get out of court.