US actor Johnny Depp (R) and his attorney Camille Vasquez (L) during a break in the 50 million US dollar Depp vs Heard defamation trial at the Fairfax County Circuit Court in Fairfax, Virginia, on May 19, 2022. – Actor Johnny Depp is suing ex-wife Amber Heard for libel after she wrote an op-ed piece in The Washington Post in 2018 referring to herself as a public figure representing domestic abuse. (Photo by Shawn THEW / POOL / AFP) (Photo by SHAWN THEW/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)
The attorney sought to set the record straight.
Just a short while after Amber Heard’s lawyer Elaine Bredehoft sat down with Savannah Guthrie to talk about an appeal, Johnny Depp’s lawyers Camille Vasquez and Ben Chew have taken their own turn. The spoke about what they feel happened in the courtroom, opening up about why Amber Heard’s version of events didn’t resonate, and more.
Speaking to Savannah Guthrie on Today, Camille Vasquez and co. opened up about the jury’s verdict in the defamation suit and countersuit. While Amber Heard was awarded two million dollars in damages, Johnny Depp did see the lion’s share of the monetary results. According to Depp’s other lawyer Ben Chew, they had “confidence” in Johnny and just hoped that “the jury would see it,” later adding:
My sense is it had a lot to do with accountability. Johnny owned his issues. He was very candid about his alcohol and drug issues. He was candid about some unfortunate texts that he wroteI think it was a sharp contrast to Ms. Heard, who the jury may have perceived that she didn’t take accountability for anything.
The comments come just a few days after Savannah Guthrie also sat down with Amber Heard’s lawyer Elaine Bredehoft. During that interview, Bredehoft said Heard was “demonized” and that she plans to appeal. She also stated at the time that she believes “social media” came into play when it came to vitriol toward the Aquaman 2 star. Though jurors were instructed not to follow the discourse related to the trial online, Bredehoft alleges “they have families, the families are on social media” and that a “10-day break” in the case did not help her client.
Speaking to those comments, Camille Vasquez and Ben Chew disagree with Elaine Bredehoft’s assessment. In fact, Chew noted he was “surprised” to hear the statements she made publicly, fleshing out his thoughts on evidence not being suppressed.
I think that was very disappointing to hear that and to hear her impugn the character of the jury. The evidence came in that should have come in and the judge was very fair on both sides.
Camille Vasquez also explained that the jury was reminded about the avoiding social media rules every night before they went home, iterating they “did the best that they could.” Chew didn’t stop with his earlier comment, either, later also reiterating his disappointment in what was said during the earlier today interview:
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I don’t think there’s any reason to believe the jurors violated their oath. Again, that was disappointing to hear.
Initially, Depp had sued Heard for $50 million over an op ed she had written in the Washington Post, alleging it was clear the abusive allegations were against him. Heard countersued for $100 million. The court case went on for weeks and did include a recess. The jury ultimately awarded Johnny Depp what will end up being around $10.3 million.
Depp has spent the last week joining TikTok and thanking Pirates of the Caribbean and other fans for their support. Amber Heard has not agreed with these choices, stating “women’s rights are moving backward.”
