Johnny Depp’s lawyer said that the actor won his high-profile trial for defamation because he “owned” his issues. The jury might have thought Amber Heard was not responsible for his actions.
On Wednesday, lawyers Camille Vasquez and Benjamin Chew appeared on NBC’s TODAY show. They were asked why Heard’s claims weren’t believed by the jury.
Chew stated that “my sense is that it had a lot to do with accountability.”
“Johnny was honest about his problems. He was open about his drug and alcohol problems. Chew stated that he was open about some of the unfortunate texts he had written.” “It was a stark contrast to Ms. Heard who didn’t appear, or at the least, it may have been perceived by the jury that she didn’t accept responsibility for anything.”
Vasquez recalls feeling an overwhelming relief when the verdict was announced.
“I was talking with a mutual friend Johnny and ours, and he said, “I haven’t seen Johnny smile so much in six years,” she said.
“The world’s weight is lifted off his shoulders. Chew stated that he has his life back.
The blockbuster Hollywood trial between Hollywood stars dominated headlines for six weeks. It exposed their private lives to the public and caused a stir on social networking platforms like Twitter and Tik Tok.
The June 1 verdict in favor Depp was the culmination of this trial. It found that Heard had tarnished his image and damaged his career by her allegations of domestic abuse.
Depp sued Heard for $50 Million in damages in a 2018 Washington Post op-ed essay in which Heard claimed she was a “public figure representing domestic violence.”
Depp was not mentioned in the essay, but his lawyers said that it refers to accusations she made against him during their 2016 separation.
Heard sued Depp for $100,000,000. Depp’s former lawyer Adam Waldman made three statements in 2020 to The Daily Mail in which he called Heard’s abuse allegations a “hoax”.
Depp was awarded $5 million in punitive and $10 million in compensatory damages by the jury. The state’s legal cap, or statutory limit, reduced the punitive damages to $350,000. This made his total damages $10.4million.
Heard was also awarded $2 million in compensatory damages in her counterclaim, but not punitive damages.
The social media frenzy around the trial, which was overwhelmingly in favor of Depp, was perhaps even more important than the trial. One TikTok hashtag, “Justice for Amber Heard”, received 27 million views while Depp’s got 20 billion.
Elaine Bredehoft was Heard’s lawyer and made an appearance on “TODAY” almost one week ago. She said that the jury was influenced by the social media chatter.
She said, “There is no way they could not have been influenced” by it.
Depp’s lawyers stated that they did not agree with this suggestion on Wednesday.
Chew stated, “No, I don’t believe there’s any reason for jurors to violate their oath.”
Vasquez acknowledged that social media scrutiny was present “everywhere”, but she stated “at the same (the jurors were) admonished every night. They had a lot of respect for the court process and showed it.
His lawyers suggested that Depp’s overwhelming support online might have been part of a coordinated campaign by him or for his benefit.
Chew called it “utterly baseless.” Vasquez claimed such claims were “categorically false.”
Depp, who was not there for the jury’s reading because he was in the U.K. at the time, stated in a statement that his feelings were “truly humbled” after the verdict was delivered.
Heard described the verdict as “a setback” to domestic abuse victims and women.
“I cannot express the disappointment that I feel today.” It is heartbreaking that my ex-husband has a disproportionate amount of power, influence and sway despite all the evidence.
Bredehoft stated that Heard doesn’t have the funds to pay the $10.4million judgment and intends to appeal.
