Johnny Depp Lawyers Hint He May Not Collect Amber Heard Payout (VIDEO)
Ben Chew and Camille Vasquez, the attorneys who represented Johnny Depp in the defamation trial against his ex-wife Amber Heard, have been making the rounds on TV talk shows, where they have defended the jury’s decision. They also hinted that Depp may not collect his $10.4 million payout from his ex-wife.
During an appearance on ABC’s Good Morning America, George Stephanopoulos asked the lawyers if social media swayed the jury. “Social media played no role whatsoever,” said Chew. “This was a decision made by the jury on the evidence presented by both sides, and as Camille said [earlier in the interview], it was overwhelmingly in Mr. Depp’s favor.”
“He was over the moon … I feel that finally after six years he’s gotten his life back.”
Johnny Depp’s lawyers Camille Vasquez and Ben Chew share the actor’s reaction to his legal victory in court against Amber Heard. https://t.co/kWY5S6eOU4 pic.twitter.com/9pe7ax2nSe
— Good Morning America (@GMA) June 8, 2022
Chew made similar comments to Savannah Guthrie on NBC’s The Today Show, stating, “No, I don’t think there’s any reason to believe that the jurors violated their oath… That is utterly baseless. In fact, very early in the case, the prior Chief Judge White had thrown out account and the counterclaims that related to that. It was absolutely absurd and baseless.”
“It is everywhere, but at the same time, [the jurors] were admonished every single night,” Vasquez added. “They had a tremendous amount of respect for the court and the process, and they were doing the best that they could.”
EXCLUSIVE: Johnny Depp’s attorney Ben Chew responds to Amber Heard’s lawyer’s claims that the jury had not been permitted to see evidence that would have “bolstered and verified” Heard’s claims of abuse.
“The judge was very fair to both sides.” pic.twitter.com/7Jwe59YuG1
— TODAY (@TODAYshow) June 8, 2022
The lawyers also shot down claims that the verdict would have a negative effect on domestic abuse victims and the #MeToo movement. “I think our response to that is we encourage any victim to come forward,” Vasquez told Stephanopoulos. “We do not [think it has a negative impact]. We believe that the verdict speaks for itself; the facts are what they were. The jury made a unanimous decision based on those facts.”
Chew also suggested that Depp might not even collect his payout from Heard. “We obviously can’t disclose attorney-client communications, but as Mr. Depp testified… this was never about money for Mr. Depp,” Chew told Good Morning America when asked about Heard’s fear of being left broke. “This was about restoring his reputation — and he’s done that. It was a total win for Johnny.”
In anticipation of the TV interviews with Depp’s lawyers, Heard’s team made their own statement. “It is as unseemly as it is unprofessional that Johnny Depp’s legal team has chosen to do a victory lap for setting back decades of how women can be treated in the courtroom,” Heard’s spokesperson said, via the NYPost. “What’s next? A movie deal and merchandising?”
