Amber Heard and Johnny Depp became quite infamous after their separation and divorce, followed by shocking revelations from both sides that led to a defamation case.
The two were married for only 15 months, and their case is currently undergoing significant phases as the court has appointed body language experts and analysts to determine who’s telling the truth.
The Trial
The Johnny Depp v. Amber Heard trial is currently at the center of media frenzy. They are back in court to decide whether she genuinely libeled her husband back in 2018 after writing an op-ed.
Depp alleges that Heard halted his career and destroyed his public image with false domestic abuse claims. A body language expert breaks down the trial to determine who is being honest and who is lying. There could be any number of reasons why a person’s body language is a certain way. Deceptive body language may not always indicate that a person is lying, but analysts explain that an amalgamation of clues could indicate who is more truthful.
Reading the Body Language
According to the experts, Heard frequently had defensive body language, such as the aggressive way she scratched her shoulder to where she nearly knocked off her microphone.
Her lawyer’s objection to some of the questioning found Heard looking down, indicating she was thinking about what to say next. She frequently had “shifty eyes” when someone was talking to her.
The most likely reason was a “condescending lack of interest.” The expert believes that it signals, “You are not important enough to hold my attention.” Body language analyst Judy James had the following view on Heard’s testimony:
“When guilty people perform tears they often try to hide their dry eyes, poking them with fingers, squeezing them shut tight or prodding them with a hankie. When they do cry for real the streaming tears are often prompted by self-pity.”
When asked about Depp, Heard frequently “becomes smaller” like a turtle retreating into its shell to attract less attention. The expert explains that this is a defense mechanism when people feel insecure. Additionally, she shows signs of stress in the two places that would indicate her nervousness around the line of questioning surrounding striking Depp, her chin and her forehead.
Moreover, she utilized speech disfluency and stumbled upon her words while using fluff words such as ‘umm’ or ‘uh.’ The experts believe the actor had specific answers in her head for questions but frequently “forgets her lines” as if they were rehearsed.
Behavioral analyst Susan Constantine, who specializes in reading body language and detecting deception, says she does “not believe” Johnny Depp was abusive with his ex-wife Amber Heard, based on both of their testimonies during Depp’s defamation trial against Heard.
Johnny Depp’s Body Language
As Johnny Depp and Amber Heard face off in a Virginia courtroom, new details are being revealed about their relationship and what led to their public divorce. While taking the stand, Depp accused Heard of being high on MDMA, commonly known as ecstasy, on their February 2015 wedding day.
Amber, a couple of friends of mine…All of her gang were all partaking in the MDMA,” Depp testified.
When asked if he also took drugs that day, Depp claimed that he didn’t do any MDMA or drink alcohol. He did, however, admit to smoking marijuana. Depp gave complete details of the incidents and had a vivid connection with the audience through his words and body language.
An Act in the Courtroom or Raw Truth?
Body language expert Judi James told Mail Online that it is difficult to read the emotions from the A-list case, as both of them are actors who know how to play a captivated worldwide audience.
The defendants will likely have been trained by their legal team in advance of their testimonies, but slight movements or expressions can give away their true feelings while not fully revealing their guilt or innocence.
One expert noted deceptive behavior in a “condescending smirk,” “face touching,” and “grooming, running his hand through his hair. He also frequently blocked his mouth. The actor smirked at some of his jokes, which the expert calls him a “charming storyteller.”
He understands how to connect with his audience and build a vivid image. However, Depp also injected emotion into his retelling of the event that came across as “honest and raw.” Depp and Heard engaged in both honest and deceptive body language behavior in different portions of their answers.
The Way of a Deceiver
Whether you choose to believe in the body language phenomenon or not, understanding what hides behind a masked individual is not an easy job.
There are many misconceptions regarding the people-reading process, for instance, every country has its own set of gestures and mannerisms, so what might seem like a misleading body signal could mean a completely normal thing to a person outside of your culture. Nevertheless, the whole world is watching the seemingly never-ending trial of Johnny Depp and Amber Heard. The couple has a troubled history together, and their fans are hoping that this lawsuit will be able to clear the air and let the ex-lovers finally move on from such an exhausting period of their life.
Janine Driver began her analysis by examining Heard’s first statement; at the very beginning. Driver says that at the end of a sentence, Amber sucked in her lip, replicating a similar motion that one does when you suck your thumb, revealing that it’s a comforting gesture.
Another issue with Amber’s testimony is that she uses a lot of start-stop sentences. The body language expert says that this type of structure is congruent with someone who’s being misleading.
The woman also mentioned that Heard’s “percentages” are off, which basically means that she’s very talkative at the beginning. Yet, when it comes to the actual incident, she barely says anything. Heard also gives irrelevant information; that is what most liars do.
Janine says that liars often provide a ton of truthful information at the start to sort of distract the people from the actual events. When Amber Heard started speaking about the attack, she got to about 15%, when in reality, it should’ve been at least 50%, which is why the body language experts say that she’s simply stacking the deck.
The trial is still ongoing, and more information will be revealed as it is being broadcasted on National Television.
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