Johnny Depp’s lawyers have detailed the one thing that had them ‘concerned’ during the actor’s infamous court battle with Amber Heard.
The long-winded court case came about after Heard made accusations against Depp in an op ed piece for the Washington Post in which she described being a victim of domestic abuse.
Depp wasn’t explicitly named in the piece, but he was deemed identifiable enough for a defamation case to be brought against Heard.
Heard then counter-sued against Depp to the tune of $100 million, which added even further media coverage to the trial.
Ultimately, a jury found in favour of both Depp’s original suit and Heard’s counter-suit, with Depp being awarded $10.35 million in damages while Heard was awarded $2 million.
Come the end of 2022, all outstanding accounts from the trial are believed to have been settled.
Benjamin Chew and Jessica Meyers, two lawyers who acted on behalf of the Pirates of the Caribbean actor, have revealed the strategy when it came to the court proceedings.
The pair discussed what it was like being in the Depp camp during the trail in Interrogation Raw: Celebrity Under Oath, which aired on Thursday (December 26).
Chew explained how people advising Depp thought it was a wise move for the actor to make jokes while on the stand in court, but there was one thing that had them worried.
“Johnny’s use of humor really undermined whatever serious point Amber’s counsel was trying to make,” Chew explained in the programme.
“We wanted to humanize Johnny before the jury so they could understand why hitting the woman he loved was something that he’s just not capable of.”
The lawyer added: “But, the one thing that we’re concerned about is whether he might lose his temper. The other side is gonna do everything possible to get Johnny to show anger.
“One of the things that lawyers try to do on cross-examination is to maintain control of the witness. That’s something that Johnny simply did not allow [Heard’s attorney Ben Rottenborn] to do.”
None of Heard’s lawyers decided to be involved with the programme, though Elaine Charlson Bredehoft, who represented the actor at the trial, has previously said how televising the infamous court battle was a mistake.
“You should never have cameras in a courtroom for sexual assault or domestic violence [cases]. I hope that the rest of the world has figured that out and that mistake won’t be repeated,” she told People.
