Johnny Depp’s defamation lawsuit against his ex-wifeAmber Heard"was never about money," according to his attorneys.
“You all have said the goal is not to impoverish Ms. Heard. Is it possible we could see a settlement where she forgoes the appeal, in return for Mr. Depp waiving any monetary damages?” asked Stephanopoulos.
“We obviously can’t disclose any attorney-client communications, but as Mr. Depp testified and as we both made clear in our respective closings,this was never about money for Mr. Depp,” Chew responded. “This was about restoring his reputation, and he’s done that.”
Listen below to an exclusive interview with Camille Vasquez on our daily podcast PEOPLE Every Day.
Chew’s statements come after Heard’s lawyer Elaine Bredehoft said on theTodayshow last week that her client would"absolutely not" be able to paythe money owed to Depp. (TheAquaman 2actress will only have to pay $10.35 million total due to a Virginia law capping punitive damages . The judge reduced the amount, and Heard was awarded $2 million in damages against Depp in a defamation countersuit she brought against Depp.)
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Bredehoft also said Heardplans to appeal the verdict, and alleged that “there was so much evidence that did not come in” for the jury to review.
On Wednesday’sepisodeof theTodayshow, Chew toldSavannah Guthrie, “That was very disappointing to hear that, and to hear [Bredehoft] impugn the character of the jury. The evidence came in that should come in, and the judge was very particular to both sides.”
Johnny Depp; Amber Heard.getty (2)
Speaking about Bredehoft’s mention ofthe U.K. libel suit Depp lostin November 2020, Vasquez said onToday, “It was a different process, and also, Mr. Depp and Mrs. Heard in this case were the parties; they had different disclosure obligations.”
“We disagree,” she stressed. “The overwhelming evidence that was presented in this case in Virginia far exceeded what was presented in the U.K. We believe the jury got it right.”
Ahead of Chew and Vasquez’s appearances onTodayandGMA, a spokesperson for Heard said in a statement provided to PEOPLE, “It is as unseemly as it is unprofessional that Johnny Depp’s legal team has chosen to do a victory lap for setting back decadesof how women can be treatedin the courtroom. What’s next? A movie deal and merchandising?”
Johnny Depp; Amber Heard.Kevin Dietsch/Getty ; Ron Sachs/Consolidated News Pictures/Getty
Heardreleased a statementshortly after the verdict was read last week that said, “The disappointment I feel today is beyond words. 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. I’m even more disappointed with what this verdict means for other women. It is a setback.”
“It sets back the clock to a time when a woman who spoke up and spoke out could be publicly shamed and humiliated. Itsets back the idea that violence against womenis to be taken seriously. I believe Johnny’s attorneys succeeded in getting the jury to overlook the key issue of Freedom of Speech and ignore evidence that was so conclusive that we won in the U.K.,” she added. “I’m sad I lost this case. But I am sadder still that I seem to have lost a right I thought I had as an American — to speak freely and openly.”
Inhis own statementreleased after the verdict was reached, Depp said, “Six years ago, my life, the life of my children, the lives of those closest to me, and also, the lives of the people who for many, many years have supported and believed in me were forever changed. All in the blink of an eye. False, very serious and criminal allegations were levied at me via the media, which triggered an endless barrage of hateful content, although no charges were ever brought against me. It had already traveled around the world twice within a nanosecond and it had a seismic impact on my life and my career. And six years later, the jury gave me my life back.”
“I also hope that the position will now return to innocent until proven guilty, both within the courts and in the media,” Depp went on. “I wish to acknowledge the noble work of the Judge, the jurors, the court staff and the Sheriffs who have sacrificed their own time to get to this point, and to my diligent and unwavering legal team who did an extraordinary job in helping me to share the truth. The best is yet to come and a new chapter has finally begun.Veritas numquam perit. Truth never perishes.”
source: people.com
