Johnny Depp’s attorneys are looking back at his tricky testimony during his trial with Amber Heard.
Two of the actor’s lawyers, Benjamin Chew and Jessica Meyers, shed light on the 2022 Virginia defamation case and their legal strategy in the new A&E special Interrogation Raw: Celebrity Under Oath, which aired Thursday, Dec. 26.
At one point, Chew explains why the legal team thought Depp making jokes on the stand while testifying was helpful, and that they worried the actor might have an outburst during his cross-examination.
“Johnny’s use of humor really undermined whatever serious point Amber’s counsel was trying to make,” says Chew. “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.”
“But,” he recalls, “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.”
Chew explained, “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.”
Depp, 61, sued ex-wife Heard, 38, for defamation over an op-ed she wrote about surviving domestic abuse, though she did not name him in the article. The jury sided with Depp, and, after reaching a settlement, she was ordered to pay him $1 million in damages.
Chew said on the Interrogation Raw special that the team called Depp after the verdict since the actor was unable to be in the courtroom that day. “He was elated, and he sounded as if the weight of the world was off of his shoulders,” he recalls. “I mean, he sounded like a kid. He was thrilled.”
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In a statement directly after the verdict, Heard, who now lives a quiet life in Spain, said she was “heartbroken that the mountain of evidence still was not enough to stand up to the disproportionate power, influence and sway of my ex-husband.” She also felt the outcome “sets back the idea that violence against women is to be taken seriously.”
Depp at the same time said the “jury gave me my life back.” He added, “Speaking the truth was something that I owed to my children and to all those who have remained steadfast in their support of me. I feel at peace knowing I have finally accomplished that.”
None of Heard’s lawyers from the trial participated in the Interrogation Raw special. Elaine Charlson Bredehoft, who represented the actress during the trial, told PEOPLE earlier this year that it was a “huge mistake” to allow the trial to be televised and that “social media completely hijacked that trial.”
“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 said.
Heard did an NBC News interview with Savannah Guthrie after the verdict in June 2022, when she said she felt Depp used his charisma to win over the jurors. “He’s a beloved character and people feel they know him. He’s a fantastic actor,” she said at the time.
Heard also shared in that interview why being cross-examined on the stand was so nerve-racking for her: “The scariest, most intimidating thing for anybody talking about sexual violence is not being believed, being called a liar or being humiliated.”
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