“The judge was very fair to both sides”: Johnny Depp’s lawyers open up about Amber Heard defamation verdict

Attorneys Benjamin Chew and Camille Vasquez (Image via Steve Helber/POOL/AFP/Getty Images)
Attorneys Benjamin Chew and Camille Vasquez (Image via Steve Helber/POOL/AFP/Getty Images)

On Wednesday, June 8, Johnny Depp's attorneys, Ben Chew and Camille Vasquez appeared on ABC's Good Morning America and NBC's The Today Show. The two lawyers spoke about the defamation trial between the actor and his ex-wife Amber Heard, which resulted in a verdict that was mostly in favor of Johnny Depp.

Addressing the allegations of Heard's lawyer Elaine Bredehoft, Ben Chew and Camille Vasquez spoke about how the jury verdict was based on facts and proof, not online chatter about the defamation case. While Chew doubled down that the jurors did not follow the case on social media, which would be in violation of their oath, Vasquez recalled how the jurors were even warned not to do so. Chew further claimed:

“The judge (Penney Azcarate) was very fair to both sides.”

Heard's lawyer had previously suggested that the jury was confused. In her appearance on CBS Mornings, Bredehoft said:

"I think the social media, it was like a Roman coliseum, is the best way to describe the atmosphere here."

What did Johnny Depp's lawyers Ben Chew and Camille Vasquez say about their favorable outcome in the verdict of the defamation trial?

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While responding to George Stephanopoulos on Good Morning America, Chew stated:

"Social media played no role whatsoever. This was a decision made by the jury on the evidence presented by both sides, and as Camille said (earlier), it was overwhelmingly in Mr. Depp's favor."

Stephanopoulos also asked the two about the allegations from Amber Heard and various advocacy groups, who have suggested that the trial's verdict negatively impacted the #MeToo movement. In her response, 37-year-old Camille Vasquez said:

"I think our response to that is we encourage any victim to come forward. Domestic violence doesn't have a gender."

The recently promoted attorney further added:

"We do not (think it has had any negative impact on the #MeToo movement). We believe that the verdict speaks for itself, the facts are what they were, the jury made a unanimous decision based on those facts."

Meanwhile, on Today, Vasquez responded to co-anchor Savannah Guthrie and said:

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

Allegations against the jury's verdict by Amber Heard and her lawyer Elaine Bredehoft

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Following the trial's verdict, which fetched Johnny Depp around $10.35 million in compensatory and punitive damages, Heard took to Twitter to express her lament. She mentioned:

"I'm even more disappointed by the implications of this decision for other women… It's a disappointment. It reverts to a time when a woman who spoke up could be publicly shamed and humiliated. It undermines the notion that violence against women should be taken seriously."

Meanwhile, during her appearance on CBS Mornings on June 2, Elaine Bredehoft said that Johnny Depp's legal team demonized Heard and suppressed the evidence against Depp. She further explained:

"We had tremendous social media that was very, very, very much against Amber."

Recently, Amber Heard's spokesperson responded to PEOPLE about Johnny Depp's video on TikTok following the verdict. The individual said that "the verdict's message to victims of domestic violence is... be afraid to stand up and speak out."

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Edited by Atul S
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