Celebrities
Breanna Robinson
Jun 08, 2022
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Johnny Depp's lawyers hinted that he may not collect the $10.4m payout from his ex-wife Amber Heard because he is satisfied with his "total win."
When asked by Good Morning America's George Stephanopoulos about Heard's fear of being left destitute, Depp's attorney Ben Chew said the following:
"We obviously can't disclose attorney-client communications, but as Mr Depp testified … this was never about money for Mr. Depp," he said.
Chew also said that this was all about "restoring" The Pirates of the Caribbean actor's "reputation".
In another live interview with the Today show on Wednesday, Chew had also dismissed the likeliness of the Aquaman actress overturning the decision.
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"We feel very confident that there are no errors that would justify any kind of successful appeal," he said.
Camille Vasquez, Depp's fellow lawyer who gained notoriety in her own right and was promoted to a partner in her law firm, said it was "disappointing" that Heard's team called the victory a blow to the #MeToo and women's rights movement.
She even noted that the actress was brought down by them "using her words against her."
"Every question that was asked was tied to something she had said previously," she said.
Vasquez added: "We encourage any victims to come forward. Domestic violence doesn't have a gender."
\u201cEXCLUSIVE: Johnny Depp\u2019s attorneys, Camille Vasquez and Benjamin Chew, tell @savannahguthrie Johnny Depp felt \u201crelief\u201d after the verdict in his trial against Amber Heard. \n\n\u201cHe's got his life back."\u201d— TODAY (@TODAY) 1654688227
Chew also told Today that it was "absolutely absurd and baseless" to suggest that the support of Depp received online an orchestrated campaign.
Instead, he said Depp won over fans and ultimately the jury due to his "accountability" in his toxic marriage.
[Depp] was very candid about his alcohol and drug issues. He was candid about some unfortunate texts that he wrote," Chew said before adding that Heard "didn't take accountability for anything."
Vasquez also said the win provided Depp with an "overwhelming sense of relief."
She also said that she spoke with a mutual friend of Johnny and the lawyers, and he said that he hadn't seen "Johnny smile like that in six years.'"
Depp prevailed in his defamation lawsuit against Heard after seven Fairfax jurors ruled in his favor that her 2018 Washington Post op-ed wrote about being a victim of abuse tarnished his reputation and career.
The actor took to his Instagram after the case to thank the jury for giving him his "life back."
And now, Depp has announced that he is collaborating with musician Jeff Beck on an album.
Heard's team, on the other hand, had already expressed their disdain at the attorneys' planned media blitz this week, what they said aired on screens.
"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 in a statement.
Heard's lawyer, Elaine Bredehoft, who had already given interviews to some of the same outlets the day after the verdict, blamed it on Depp's team's approach to "demonize Amber and suppress the evidence."
Heard's team had also bashed Depp for taking to TikTok to thank the "loyal and unwavering supporters."
Since then, The Washington Postprovided an editor's note to Heard's op-ed to indicate that it was ruled defamatory.
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