Kriti Mehrotra
With Netflix’s ‘Depp v. Heard’ delving into the tumultuous 2022 defamation lawsuit filed by renowned actor Johnny Depp against his ex-wife Amber Heard, we get a docuseries unlike any other. After all, it incorporates only court testimonies as well as social media commentary — no exclusive interviews — to really shine a light upon the possible brutal verities behind this couple’s union. Amongst those to thus play a significant role here was actually the latter’s younger sister, Whitney Heard Henriquez — so now, if you simply wish to learn more about her, here’s what we know!
Who is Whitney Henriquez?
Born on September 18, 1987, in Austin, Texas, to Patricia Paige Heard (née Parsons) and David Clinton Heard as the youngest of three daughters, Whitney has always been one to speak her mind. It’s hence no surprise she has arguably been the most vocal defender of her middle sister Amber in this now-infamous case, especially as she has allegedly seen some disturbing things firsthand. The truth is, per her own testimony, she genuinely liked Johnny Depp at first despite his 22-year age gap with ‘The Rum Diary’ actress, yet this changed as soon as she came to believe he was abusive.
Though Whitney’s entire mindset as well as approach to the duo’s bond shifted the second she saw deep bruises on her elder sister, according to court records from the 2020 libel trial in London. “I saw that her face was swollen and she had a mark under her eye,” she testified. “I said: ‘What the f*** is happening? You have to talk to me. I’m not stupid, I can see he is hitting you.’ She admitted to me that he had hit her, but at that time she was constantly putting it on herself or blaming herself.”
However, per the 2022 defamation trial, the worst was when she actually witnessed the alleged violence in 2015 — she is the only person to have ever claimed she caught an altercation between them. It ostensibly stemmed from a dispute after Amber and Johnny had already tied the knot, ending with him chasing the sisters up a flight of stairs and pulling her hair back before grabbing the latter’s “with one hand while whacking her repeatedly in the face with the other;” yet there’s no evidence of this.
So, once Johnny won the majority of his suit against Amber in June 2022 owing to a unanimous seven-person jury verdict, all Whitney could express in a statement was, “I still stand with you, sissy. Yesterday, today, and tomorrow. I will always be proud of you for standing up for yourself, for testifying both here in Virginia and in the UK, and for being the voice of so many who can’t speak to the things that happen behind closed doors.
She then continued, “We knew that this was going to be an uphill battle and that the cards were stacked against us. But you stood up and spoke out regardless. I am so honored to testify for you, and I would do it a million times over because I know what I saw and because the truth is forever on your side. I’m so sorry that it wasn’t reflected in the decision made by this jury, but I will never give up on you, and neither will anyone who stands with you. Forever by your side… #IStandWithAmberHeard.”
Whitney Henriquez is Leading a Quiet Family Life Today
From what we can tell, it was both Whitney as well as Amber’s childhood dream to become an actress upon growing up, yet it seems like just the latter seriously pursued it starting at the age of 17. The former did actually evolve into an actress/model at one point — she featured in various commercials, a few short films, and even landed a role in the 2007 comedy film ‘Homo Erecturs.’ But alas, she soon decided to part ways from this world in favor of the hospitality industry; she testified she held F&B management jobs, all the while planning events at a hotel prior to the pandemic.
Though today, at the age of 35, it appears as if Whitney is simply leading a quiet life alongside her husband Gavin Henriquez and their two children, son Hunter Wylde and daughter Harlin Willow, in Los Angeles, California. She’s also still extremely close to her sister, so she’s truly proud to know that over 130 experts plus organizations stand by her despite everything to have gone by — it took a while, yet they all signed a petition in her support by November 2022. In other words, it looks like the happily married mother of two is just trying to move on with her life while continuing to support her sister these days.
Read More: iO Tillett Wright: Where is Amber Herd’s Friend Now?
