Johnny Depp’s Lawyers Take on Every Headline from the Amber Heard Trial

Johnny Depp’s lawyers Camille Vasquez and Ben Chew are speaking out for the first time since the actor won a defamation case against his ex-wife Amber Heard.

The lawyers sat down with “Today” anchor Savannah Guthrie, taking on the major headlines and speculation surrounding the case, as well as news of an appeal.

Depp was suing Heard for $50 million. She was countersuing him for $100 million.

The jury found in favor of Depp, agreeing that it was defamation when Heard claimed she was a domestic abuse survivor in a 2018 op-ed. He was awarded $10 million in compensatory damages and $5 million in punitive damages. The judge immediately reduced the $5 million figure to $350,000, in line with a Virginia statutory cap.

Amber also had a partial win in her countersuit, as the jury awarded her $2 million in compensatory damages for a statement made by one of Depp’s lawyers.

When asked how Depp reacted to the winning verdict, Vasquez said he had “an overwhelming sense of relief" adding that a mutual friend commented, “I haven’t seen Johnny smile like that in six years.”

Were the attorneys stunned by the win? Chew told Guthrie, “We had ultimate confidence in Johnny and the jury and the facts of this case and you can only hope that the jury will see it, and in this case they did and the verdict was overwhelmingly in his favor.”

One thing that wasn’t addressed at the trial was the libel case Depp lost in 2020 against The Sun U.K.

Amber’s lawyer Elaine Charlson Bredhoft told Savannah last week, “We weren’t allowed to tell them about the U.K. judgment. And the court found there, and we weren't allowed to tell the jury this, but the court found that Mr. Depp had committed at least 12 acts of domestic violence, including sexual violence against Amber. So what did Depp's team learn from this? Demonize Amber, and suppress the evidence.”

She further claimed, "We had an enormous amount of evidence that was suppressed in this case that was in the U.K. case. In the U.K. case, when it came in, Amber won, Mr. Depp lost."

Responding to Bredhoft’s comments, Vasquez said, “It was a different process, and also Mr. Depp and Ms. Heard in this case were the parties so they had different disclosure obligations… The overwhelming evidence that was presented in this case in Virginia far exceeded what was presented in the U.K. and we believe the jury got it right.”

In her interview with Heard’s lawyer, Guthrie brought up the vitriolic and lopsided social media against Amber, and Bredhoft said there was “no way” the jury “couldn’t have been influenced by it, and it was horrible.”

Chew took on speculation that the jurors were influenced by social media, saying, "No, I don't think there's any reason to believe that the jurors violated their oath. And again, that suggestion was disappointing to hear."

Vasquez added, "It is everywhere, but at the same time, they were admonished every single night. And they had a tremendous amount of respect for the court and the process, and they were doing the best that they could."

Commenting on why the jury believed Johnny over Amber, Chew said, "My sense is that it had a lot to do with accountability. Johnny owned and was candid about his alcohol and drug issues. He was candid about some unfortunate texts that he wrote, and I think it was a sharp contrast to Miss Heard, who didn't seem, or at least the jury may have perceived, that she didn't take accountability for anything."

Heard’s attorney has already talked about an appeal, and Chew told Guthrie, "We feel very confident that there are no errors that would justify any kind of successful appeal.”

The trial also catapulted Vasquez into the spotlight and made her a household name. The lawyer, who was recently promoted to partner at her firm, reflected on her overnight fame, saying, “It's been surreal… and if I'm being honest, a bit overwhelming.”

At one point, a cameraman even asked if she was dating Depp. Watch the video as she laughs off the question.

Yesterday, Depp also spoke out, sending a message to his supporters.

In his first-ever TikTok post he shared a montage video of himself waving to adoring fans and working on his music.

He included the message, “To all of my most treasured, loyal and unwavering supporters. We’ve been everywhere together, we have seen everything together. We have walked the same road together. We did the right thing together, all because you cared. And now, we will all move forward together. You are, as always, my employers and once again I am whittled down to no way to say thank you, other than just by saying thank you. So, thank you. My love & respect, JD”