Allegations of domestic violence are taken seriously by family courts across the country, including those here in New Jersey. Therefore, when a court on the west coast was provided photographs indicating that Johnny Depp had abused Amber Heard, his wife of just 15 months, the judge issued a restraining order requiring Depp to remain at least 100 yards from his wife. People who know Depp say that the accusations espoused in divorce papers recently filed by Heard are suspicious.
Reports indicate that Depp became enraged with Heard during her phone call with a friend. At some point, he allegedly grabbed her cell phone and threw it at her. She claims it struck her in the eye. She then claims that Depp grabbed her by the hair and struck her while screaming at her. She produced photographs of her injuries in court two days later.
Other reports, however, indicate that when officers with the Los Angeles Police Department arrived at the scene that night, they did not see any visible signs of violence and left. Furthermore, there is said to be a photograph of Heard on Instagram that was supposedly taken the following day. Supposedly, she does not appear to have the marks that appear in the pictures provided to the court or in the media.
As would be the case in a New Jersey divorce in which allegations of domestic violence are made, it will be up to the court to determine the veracity of the statements made by both Heard and Depp. No one should have to put up with being abused by someone who is supposed to love them, and victims need to be protected. On the other hand, some people make allegations of domestic violence in an attempt to gain some sort of advantage in the divorce process. Therefore, many courts will err on the side of caution until further investigation and testimony are available.
Source: pagesix.com, “Bruised Amber Heard granted restraining order against Johnny Depp“, Maggie Coughlan, Helen Kumari and Laura Italiano, May 27, 2016