Johnny Depp’s lawyers returned to the high-profile trial against his ex-wife, Amber Heard, for defamation in 2022.
A winning strategy. Ranked as the highest-paid actor in the world in 2012, Johnny Depp experienced a high-profile legal battle against his ex-wife, Amber Heard, in 2022 due to accusations of domestic violence.
During the show “Interrogation Raw: Celebrities under oath”, broadcast on Thursday, December 26, two of his lawyers, Benjamin Chew and Jessica Meyers, went behind the scenes of the case.
“Johnny’s humor really undercut Amber’s lawyer’s serious point of view. We wanted to humanize Johnny in front of the jury so he understood why hitting the woman he loved was something he just wasn’t capable of. But, the only thing that worried us was that he wouldn’t lose his cool. The other side was going to do everything possible to get Johnny to show his anger,” explained Benjamin Chew.
The defense explained that “one of the things lawyers try to do in cross-examination is maintain control of the witness,” which “Johnny simply did not allow [l’avocat de Heard, Ben Rottenborn] to do”.
One million dollars in damages
Married to Amber Heard between 2015 and 2017, the “Pirates of the Caribbean” star sued his ex-partner for defamation because of an editorial in which she mentioned domestic violence without directly naming him. The jury ruled in favor of the actor and she was ordered to pay him one million dollars in damages after an agreement was reached.
Benjamin Chew described the relief of his client, who was absent from court that day, when the verdict was announced. “He was elated, as if a huge weight had been lifted from his shoulders. He looked like a child, he was so happy,” he said. For his part, Johnny Depp declared that the jury had “given back” his “life”. “Telling the truth was something I owed to my children and to everyone who supported me unwaveringly. I feel at peace knowing that I have finally accomplished this,” he said.
In a statement, Amber Heard, who now lives in Spain, said she was “heartbroken that the mountain of evidence is still not enough to stand up to the disproportionate power, influence and hold of [son] ex-husband. She also pointed out that the result “challenged the idea that violence against women should be taken seriously.”
None of the actress’s lawyers participated in the special. Elaine Charlson Bredehoft, who represented her at the trial, previously told People that it was a “huge mistake” to allow the trial to be televised and that “social media has completely hijacked” it.
