Lawyers for Johnny Depp, Benjamin Chew and Camille Vasquez, on Wednesday denied there was a coordinated campaign to win support for their client and that their victory in the defamation lawsuit he filed against his ex -wife Amber Heard will harm the #MeToo movement, as claimed by the actress and some victims’ organizations.
Highlights
- Speaking on Good Morning America, Camille Vasquez said they ‘encourage any victim to come forward – domestic violence has no gender’.
- When asked by host George Stephanopoulos if a deal could be reached so that Amber Heard doesn’t have to pay damages to Johnny Depp if she doesn’t appeal the verdict, Benjamin Chew replied that he could not comment but that “it was never about the money” for Johnny Depp, “it was about restoring his reputation”.
- Chew said social media — which was gripped by the lawsuit and appeared to overwhelmingly favor the actor — did not play a role in influencing the verdict.
- Speaking on the Today programme, Mr Chew denied claims by the US actress’ lawyer, Elaine Bredehoft, that there was an organized online campaign in support of Johnny Depp, calling them ” totally unfounded” and Ms. Vasquez “categorically false”.
Key context
Last week, a jury found that Amber Heard defamed Johnny Depp in a 2018 op-ed she wrote for The Washington Post, in which she called herself a “public victim representing domestic violence,” without naming the actor. The jury ruled that the Pirates of the Caribbean star had defamed the actress in a statement from his lawyer calling the allegations of abuse against the young woman a hoax. Johnny Depp was awarded $10.3 million in damages, and the Aquaman actress $2 million. Ms Bredehoft said her client could not pay the judgment, and said she intended to appeal.
Tangent
Johnny Depp joined TikTok this week, a platform where he enjoyed strong support during the trial, and posted a video thanking his followers and showing images of those standing outside the courthouse for the trial. cheering and holding signs in support. “We’re all going to move forward together,” he said, hinting at a career restart after the trial.
Article translated from Forbes US – Author: Marisa Dellatto
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