Fact Check: Did Amber Heard Leave a 'Bruise Kit' in a Photo?

Amber Heard has landed at the center of more speculation over makeup, after a viral TikTok video purported to show evidence of a "bruise kit" left in a photo.

Heard, 36, is entering the final week of her defamation trial with ex-husband Johnny Depp, who has sued her for $50 million over a 2018 op-ed she wrote for The Washington Post, in which she claimed she was a domestic abuse survivor.

While Heard didn't name Depp, 58, in the article, his lawyers have argued that it was obvious she was referring to the actor. She is countersuing for $100 million.

Throughout the trial, Heard and Depp, whose divorce was finalized in January 2017, have accused one another of domestic abuse. Both have denied the allegations.

The Claim

Over the weekend, a viral TikTok video revisited a photo that was presented during the trial, showing Depp on a couch with molten ice cream all over his jeans.

While the photo was presented as evidence of his apparent drink and drug use, Depp countered Heard's claim that he had passed out, suggesting instead that he had fallen asleep, per The Mirror.

In the TikTok video, which has been viewed more 13 million times since it was uploaded, a caption read: "Amber left a bruise kit in one of the photos. The exact bruise kit. Ben Nye bruise kit."

The clip then zoomed in on the makeup kit, that showed the square palette sitting on a table in front of where Depp was asleep.

Footage later cut to a breakdown of what was believed to have been the palette, which included the colors Goldenrod, Fresh Cut, Misty Violet, and Maroon.

As the seconds-long video came to its conclusion, it was further edited to add Heard referring to her makeup palette as a "bruise kit," before correcting herself.

Heard's "bruise kit" comment sparked conversation among TikTok users, a number of whom asserted that bruise kits are usually used to apply the appearance of bruises for theatrical purposes, rather than cover them up.

The Facts

Heard has spoken in court about using a makeup kit to cover up bruises allegedly inflicted upon her by Depp during their ill-fated relationship.

Holding up the palette while on the stand last week, the Aquaman star told the court: "This is what I was talking about as a color correction kit. This is not, obviously, the exact one I used to carry, but I used to carry it with me all the time.

"Sometimes this pink is sometimes a little but more purple of a hue. And sometimes the kits are three colors. You can get them in three or four colors. Sometimes they have even more."

Explaining why she always had the kit with her, she went on: "I am typically photographed in L.A. when I leave the house. Paparazzi take my photograph, so I'm somewhat aware of that anyway.

"No woman wants to walk around with a bruise on her face. So if I did have a bruise on my face, or someplace visible, the main thing you have to do is ice right away to reduce swelling, because no amount of makeup can fix swelling.

"But it's very manageable. You ice it really soon. Arnica is also a great remedy, arnica cream.

"And then if you want to cover up a bruise, you obviously put foundation first, concealer and then on top of that I use like a bruise kit," she said, before quickly correcting herself. "Not a bruise kit, it's a theater makeup kit."

Heard, who was previously the focus of a viral TikTok video from Milani Cosmetics over her attorney's opening statement about the makeup kit she purportedly used to cover her bruises, did not name the brand of her palette.

The Ruling

False.

While the Ben Nye brand does carry bruise kits, which it refers to as Bruise Wheels, none of them are offered in square palettes. The square palettes that were put forth as "evidence" on TikTok resemble those sold by Ben Nye as theatrical makeup kits, though not for creating bruises.

FACT CHECK BY NEWSWEEK

Correction, 5/23/22, 15:28 p.m. ET: This article has been updated to correct a typo in the ruling, which originally said "none of them are offered in circular palettes." It instead should say "square palettes."