Heard’s sister, Whitney Henriquez, testified on Wednesday, alleging Depp was violent and controlling during their 15-month marriage, which ended in divorce at the beginning of 2017.
The judge also asked Henriquez about Howell, one of her former friends.
The court declaration dated July 26, 2022 has become a talking point on social media during the latter stages of the trial.
What is Jennifer Howell’s Background?
As the penultimate week of Johnny Depp and Amber Heard’s (L) defamation trial draws to a close, a court declaration shared by a woman named Jennifer Howell (R) has resurfaced on social media. Newsweek has looked at her history and link to the trial. KEVIN LAMARQUE/POOL/AFP via Getty Images;/David Livingston/Getty Images
Howell runs the non-profit organization Art of Elysium, which she founded more than two decades ago. Artists can serve communities in need through this Los Angeles-based organization. More than 30,000 people are served annually.
In 2014, Henriquez worked as a volunteer at The Art of Elysium for six months before becoming a full-time employee as Art Salon Manager/Director between 2015 and 2016.
In a statement seen by Newsweek, Howell referred to Henriquez as her “chosen sister,” a description the philanthropist confirmed in court was the same as hers.
During her court appearance, Henriquez said that she had moved from living in the Los Angeles penthouse of Depp and Heard to living with Howell.
Apparently, Holwell made this statement in response to Henriquez’s testimony in a London court in 2020 when Depp filed a libel suit against British tabloid The Sun for referring to him as a “wife-beater,” referencing Heard’s claims.
“I have learned that Whitney testified in court July 23 in London about a violent incident in March 2015 on the stars at Johnny Depp’s penthouse,” the declaration stated.
“She testified that Johnny supposedly hit Amber and Whitney on the stars at Johnny’s downtown penthouse.
“Then Whitney said she had to go live with her employer where she had to sleep on their floor. I am that employer. This is not what I was told to be true.
“First, Whitney came to live in the guest room of my apartment on Wilshire Boulevard, not on my floor but in my guest room,” the declaration continues. “Second, when Whitney arrived, she was a mess. Whitney told me she tried to stop her sister Amber from hitting and attacking Johnny on the stairs.
“She Was Worried Amber Was ‘Going to Kill Johnny'”
“Whitney said when she tried to intervene to stop Amber from going after Johnny, Amber nearly pushed Whitney down the stairs. She told me she was worried Amber ‘was going to kill Johnny,'” the declaration continues.
Despite Heard’s denials of being violent, the declaration alleges that Henriquez told Howell that the violence between the now-ex-couples was a continuation of abuse she had endured over several years.
“[Henriquez] told me she had endured that kind of abuse her entire life, first from her father, and then from Amber, who she said was extremely violent,” Howell said.
“She lived with me because she did not feel she could do back to live at [Depp and Heard’s penthouse]. My father reminded me this morning that I told him that ‘Whitney had moved in with me because she was terrified of her sister.'”
Violence Allegations
A number of other allegations are listed in Henriquez’s declaration, including that Heard cut off Depp’s finger while at work. Heard denies Depp’s claim, and claims he did it himself.
Additionally, according to the document, Henriquez determined that her sister was more violent than her.
“While Whitney was living with me, she told me Johnny kept checking in to see how she was doing and that he called her ‘sis’ and she called him ‘brother,'” the declaration continued. “Whitney said to me on multiple occasions that she did not know why he was staying in the relationship not why he was putting up with Amber’s abuse.
“Whitney shared with me the damage endured by both her and Amber as children and the injuries she had suffered from Amber both psychologically and physically. Whitney was devastated during this time, and my heart broke for her.
“When Whitney came back from New York (I believe it was for the Tribeca Film Festival, The Adderall Diaries premiere or both) she shared with me and everyone in the office that Amber freaked out, attacked Whitney and threw a wine glass full of red wine at her in the elevator.
She continued: “While Amber and Johnny were in Australia, Whitney was in the office sitting in the black and white chairs near the kitchen and loudly proclaimed, ‘Oh my God, she has done it now. She has cut off his f***ing finger.'”
According to Howell’s declaration, despite Heard’s legal troubles in Australia in 2015 for bringing her dogs into the country illegally, the philanthropist wrote a character reference for her as a volunteer for the charity and as someone who attended events.
Heard had also been awarded a humanitarian award by the organization, according to Howell’s declaration.
“I am still grateful for that,” Howell was quoted. “I knew nothing about her life behind closed [doors] until I became close to Whitney.”
Howell, however, questions why her non-profit organization was overlooked for donations following Heard’s divorce from Depp, according to the declaration.
“Instead, I understood it would all go to ACLU and L.A. Children’s Hospital,” read the declaration. “I asked Amber’s publicist why, when she and Amber had been so eager to use out name in the press during the divorce, and when the funds would mean so much to a small organization like ours, would Amber direct all the money to those other two huge charities that she had not been associated with?
“Amber’s publicist told me that they were more prominent charities with a more significant press reach and got international press. Then, months later, a $250,000 donation came into our organization from an anonymous donor ‘on behalf of Amber Heard.’ The funds did not come from Amber. I believed this donation came from Elon [Musk, Heard’s former boyfriend].”
A statement issued by Henriquez in July 2020 denounced the accusations made in the declaration, saying: “This is complete fiction. Jennifer Howell’s statements do not bear any relationship to the truth and I have no idea why she is saying this.”
What Is Jennifer Howell’s Controversial Declaration About?
It is stated early in the file that Heard’s legal team wishes to have the declaration excluded from the more than 250 court documents on the website of Virginia’s Fairfax County Circuit Courthouse.
The declaration, it states , “was never produced to Defendant and was procured by false subpoenas never served on Defendant’s counsel. Instead, Plaintiff’s counsel Adam Waldman ‘leaked’ this declaration created by him on his [Twitter] account.
“The Court Ordered Plaintiff to produce this document and all documents transmitted to the press or social media users, but consistent with his conduct in this case Plaintiff refused to produce it, so Defendant only possesses the screenshot from Mr. Waldman’s tweet.
“Because of the violation of this Court’s Order, the Declaration and all information included, should be excluded as a sanction.”
