Amber Heard Causes More Harm to Abused Woman, Says Attorney

Johnny Depp‘s attorney Camille Vasquez felt the case may have done more harm to abused women in violent relationships because of Amber Heard’s “false” testimony.

She was one of two lawyers representing Depp in a defamation case against his ex-wife actress Amber Heard that began on April 11, 2022. When Heard, 36, took the witness stand in a Fairfax County, Virginia, courtroom to detail her marital experience with Depp, 58, she described vivid accounts of verbal and physical abuse she claimed to endure.

Six weeks later, the jury found that Heard was liable of defaming Depp. The jury awarded Depp $10 million in compensatory damages and $350,000 in punitive damages. Heard was awarded $2 million in compensatory damages for her countersuit, yielding Depp $8,350,000.

Vasquez said Heard’s allegations of domestic abuse represent what “far too many women” experience, but Heard’s testimony being filled with “lies” did harm to actual abuse victims as well as Depp’s reputation.

“It was an act of profound cruelty, not just to Mr. Depp but to true survivors of domestic abuse, for Ms Heard to hold herself as a public figure representing domestic violence. It was false, it was defamatory, and it caused irreparable harm,” Vasquez said.

Similarly, Depp’s other attorney Ben Chew highlighted the hypocrisy of Depp’s mindset regarding domestic abuse. At one point, a recording captured Heard saying: “i didn’t punch you… I was hitting you.”

Chew countered saying, “Imagine if the shoe were on the other foot and Mr Depp, a man, was saying to a woman ‘I didn’t hit you I only punched you’ ”

After the verdict, Heard said in a statement: “I’m heartbroken that the mountain of evidence still was not enough to stand up to the disproportionate power, influence and sway of my ex-husband.”

The couple were married in February 2015 and separated in May 2016. After filing for divorce that same month, Heard filed a domestic violence restraining order against Depp alleging physical abuse and providing pictures.

Depp sued his ex-wife for $50 million over allegations Heard made about domestic abuse when she wrote a 2018 opinion piece in “The Washington Post” describing herself as a “public figure representing domestic abuse.”  Heard filed a countersuit for $100 million in damages.