It is abundantly clear that Johnny Depp's lawyer, Camille Vasquez, has pleasantly surprised many people with her skills in court. But now, people are more curious about the close relationship she seems to have with Depp.
Rumors Of Romance
In the past few weeks, there have been rumors that the two are romantically drawn to each other, considering the close relationship they appear to have in court.
The Past Few Years Have Been Tough For Depp
Depp, who became a Hollywood hit in the 90s, pursued a highly public domestic abuse case against his ex Amber Heard.
Depp And Heard's Relationship Seemed Perfect At First
Depp and Heard met on the set of The Rum Diary back in 2011. After he broke up with Vanessa Paradis, his long-term partner, they started dating.
In 2014, They Got Engaged
Before long, the couple got married after having a wedding in February 2015.
Things Started To Go Wrong
The couple enjoyed a curiously short honeymoon, and mere months after they got married, Depp had reportedly gotten a hand injury after "smashing bottles and windows" while in a fight with Heard.
In The Next Year, There Were Reports Of Abuse Linked To The Couple
Given Depp and Heard's problems in their marriage, people were not surprised to hear that Heard filed for divorce in 2016. It had only been 15 months since they tied the knot.
There Was Something Unusual About The Divorce
Based on media reports, Heard had allegedly claimed that she had filed for divorce due to "irreconcilable differences."
Shortly After Their Separation...
Heard got a restraining order against her ex-husband. She said that he had assaulted her in the past.
People Took Note Of The Allegations
Heard had made a serious allegation against her ex-husband, which is why people found it confusing when she decided to drop the physical abuse allegations against him a day before a hearing could begin.
The World, However, Didn't Forgive Depp
With allegations that he was an abuser, the world turned on Depp. Heard had claimed that he had hit her on many occasions and recorded a video that showed him throwing a glass of wine across the room in anger.
In 2018, Heard Wrote An Op-Ed In The Washington Post
In the article, she portrayed herself as a victim of domestic violence and abuse. The article did not say Depp's name, but it was clear he was the person she was talking about since she claimed to have suffered the abuse at a time when she was married to him:
"... two years ago, I became a public figure representing domestic abuse..."
Heard Got A Lot Of Support
Given her experience, she was made an "Ambassador for Women's Issues" by the American Civil Liberties Union.
Meanwhile, Depp Fiercely Denied The Allegations Made Against Him
On his part, Depp denied the accusations Heard had made against him. Nevertheless, his career suffered substantially.
Depp's role in Fantastic Beasts drew heavy criticism. He eventually lost his part in the film to another actor.
He Also Lost His Role As Captain Jack Sparrow In Pirates of the Caribbean
The announcement that he had lost his role in the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise was a big blow to Depp. This helped demonstrate how badly his career had suffered due to the domestic abuse allegations against him.
He was fired from his role 4 days after Heard wrote her article.
Disney Did Not Directly Mention Heard's Accusations Against Him
Disney has made more than $4.5 billion from the Pirates franchise at the box office. People assumed that they fired the actor to dissociate themselves from the scandal he was facing.
Something Unexpected Happened
Depp decided to file a $50-million defamation case against Heard. He claimed that he was the person who suffered abuse during their relationship together, not Heard as she had claimed.
Depp Claimed He Was The Victim
In his defamation lawsuit, he said that the op-ed had made it seem that Heard was the victim while Depp was the abuser.
The Lawsuit Claimed That Heard's Allegations Were False
In his lawsuit against Heard, Depp claimed that Heard had lied about being abused by him. He went on to list incidents in which Heard was abusing him and staged attacks.
The Allegations Were Pretty Serious
Depp claimed that Heard would hit, punch, and kick him. She also threw things at him, including soda cans, heavy bottles, television remote controls, burning candles, and paint thinner cans.
The abuse, Depp claimed, severely injured him.
He Also Had Audio Evidence
In addition to the claims he made against Heard, Depp also had audio in which Heard admitted to hitting him.
Heard Can Be Heard Taunting Depp
In the audio, Heard tells Depp, "You are such a baby. Grow the f*** up, Johnny."
Depp Sued The Sun
Depp had a libel case against The Sun newspaper, accusing them of defaming him in a 2018 article in which they called him a "wife-beater."
Depp And Heard Appeared In Court
In court, the former couple said many damaging things about each other, and the situation drew a lot of media attraction. Both parties made more allegations, and more evidence was presented in court.
Depp Lost The Case
Losing the case was a massive blow to his reputation as an actor. Nevertheless, he was not about to give up.
Depp Set Out To Prove That Heard Had Made False Allegations Against Him
He claimed that she abused him on several occasions and then tried to make it look like she was the victim.
Depp's Lawyers Claimed She Had Edited Photos To Look Like She Had Two Black Eyes
In the photo, she claimed to have been attacked by him in 2015.
Depp's Lawyer Claimed That Heard's Lawyers Used The Photos Repeatedly As Evidence
Heard's legal team had used the photos during her deposition. Depp's lawyer also said that the LA Police Department had "disavowed the photographs," which indicated that the pictures did not prove what the police had seen.
LAPD Found No Injury On Heard
Based on the photos, Heard had injuries, but the police did not see the injuries after inspecting her. Additionally, they did not find any disruptions to the penthouses as she had claimed.
Depp's lawyer argued that Heard and her friends had edited the photos to help her get a temporary restraining order and a $7 million divorce settlement, which she falsely claimed to have given to the ACLU and Children's Hospital of Los Angeles.
According To Depp's Lawyer, The Photos Were Doctored
Heard was accused of doctoring the photos or having someone do it on her behalf three years after they were taken. The lawyer went on to say that Heard had falsely denied editing the images when the issue was brought up in court in London.
Depp And His Lawyers Were Given Access To Heard's Phone Records
The court agreed to give Depp's legal team access to Heard's phone records following the allegations. The phone will undergo analysis by Brian Neumeister, a tech expert.
Big Celebrities Have Been Mentioned In The Case
As the case progressed, a lot of celebrities were mentioned.
Heard's team intends to use the texts Bettany and Depp exchanged to show that he used violent language against her.
Familiar Names Are Also Part Of Heard's Exhibit
During the case, messages and emails between Heard and Momoa, and James Wan will also be made public.
Emails From JK Rowling And Jack White Have Also Been Logged
Other big names involved include Ellen Barkin, an American actress who will be Heard's witness. Barkin has talked about the allegations Heard made against her ex-husband Depp.
Barkin Said Heard Was "Never Enough Of A Victim"
She also said: "And we never will be... Unless we're dead."
Depp Is Accusing Heard Of Defaming Him
As far as Depp is concerned, Heard has tarnished his reputation with the things she has said about him. In response, Heard has countersued him, which is why many celebrities will now be part of the case.
Depp took the stand on April 19th.
He Said Heard's Allegations Were "Heinous And Disturbing"
When he started testifying at the Fairfax County courthouse, he said that the allegations Heard had made were criminal acts against him and added that they were not based on any truth.
He Said He Never Struck A Woman In His Life
In addition to saying he did not hit Heard, he also said he had never hit a woman in his life. He then said that he decided to sue because he knew there was no truth to the allegations she had made.
Depp felt that he had a responsibility to stand up for himself and his children.
Depp Talked Of The Impact The Allegations Had On His Kids
As far as he was concerned, it was evil that his children could go to school and get confronted by people showing them the infamous People Magazine cover, which shows Heard with a dark bruise on her face.
"It Never Had To Go In This Direction"
In court, Depp said he was a very private person, which means it was difficult for him to sit in court and expose himself and his family. He felt that things did not have to get that bad.
Depp insisted that his goal was "the truth," which is why he was not afraid to do "the right thing."
He Also Talked More About The Time He Spent With Heard
Depp went into details about his relationship with Heard, including his severed fingertip, audio recordings of their fights, and shocking text messages.
On May 3rd, Depp's Legal Team Rested Their Case
After Depp's legal team made their case, Heard's lawyers tried to get the case dismissed.
Heard's Lawyers Tried To Have The Case Thrown Out
Heard's lawyers argued that Depp's legal team had not proven that there was malice on Heard's part. They also claimed that The Washington Post op-ed was not written by Heard.
Attempts To Dismiss The Case Were Rejected
The judge presiding over the case did not grant the request by Heard's legal team to have the case dismissed.
The Trial Continued
After attempts by Heard's legal team to have the case dismissed failed, the case continued with Heard taking the stand. She would offer details about the abuse she allegedly suffered at Depp's hands.
Lots Of People Shared Their Opinions On The Case As It Progressed
According to Jill Huntley Taylor, the testimony Heard gave may have increased the stakes of the trial since her claims of abuse are very extreme. That means that if the jury believes her, she should get a big windfall while Depp gets punished.
On the other hand, if the jury does not believe her, she might get punished. Consequently, the outcome of the trial depends on the credibility of her testimony to the jury.
From "Victim To Actress"
Brett Ward, a co-chair of matrimonial legal practice, said that Heard had gone from being a victim to being an actress. Ward pointed out that her biggest problem was looking like an actress whenever she talked about actual incidents of violence.
He went on to say that her description of events sometimes sounded "like a soliloquy."
After A Week-Long Break, Heard Took The Stand Once More
Heard revealed that she did not donate $3.5 million to charity as she had promised, even though she had claimed to have done so in the past.
She Blamed Depp For Not Paying The $7 Million Divorce Settlement To Charity
Heard said Depp was the reason she had not donated the money she promised to charity. However, when speaking at a Dutch talk show in 2018, she claimed that she had donated the $7 million, which she divided between the ACLU and the Children's Hospital of Los Angeles.
"I wanted nothing," she said.
Amber Said She Did Not Meet Her Obligation Because Depp Had Sued Her For $50 Million In 2019
She said that she would love to honor all her pledges and then said "I would love for him to stop suing me so I can."
Heard Has Only Donated $350,000
ACLU Chief Operating Officer and General Counsel, Terence Dougherty, said that she had only directly donated $350,000 in December 2018. This was the only donation she made.
Allegedly, an additional $500,000 was also donated on her behalf by Elon Musk.
Heard Said She Did Not Care About The Settlement Money
Heard claimed she did not care about the money. She also said she was told that if she did not agree to a number, they would never settle:
"I took far less than what they were offering and what I was entitled to."
Nevertheless, according to testimony by Edward White, Depp's accountant, and business manager, she had demanded $4 million before raising the figure to $7 million in 2016.
Heard Also Threatened She Would File A Restraining Order
White also revealed that Heard had claimed she would file a public restraining order if he did not continue financing her lifestyle after their divorce.
Camille Vasquez, Depp's lawyer, asked Heard about her failure to donate the money she had promised, as well as her alleged injuries.
Vasquez Talked About Depp's "Big, Chunky Rings"
Vasquez said that if Depp had physically abused her, she would have needed medical attention for her injuries. This line of questioning was based on Heard's claims that Depp had abused her before the Met Gala in 2015.
However, she showed up at the event without any injuries on her.
Heard Suspected Her Nose Was Broken After Depp Allegedly Whacked Her
Heard changed her story and said she was unsure she had suffered a broken nose but said, "but you should see what it looked like under the makeup."
Vasquez asked if the makeup covered up the swelling, and Heard responded that ice did.
The lawyer also spoke about the fight in Australia, claiming that there were no medical records of the abuse. Heard said she did not seek medical treatment and did not want to tell anyone about it.
Vasquez Then Asked Heard About The Donations To ACLU And Children's Hospital Los Angeles
At this point, things got a little intense.
"You Wanted Mr. Depp's Money"
When Heard said that she did not want anything and "didn't get anything," Vasquez responded by saying "You wanted Mr. Depp's money."
She then said she did not get it because she was not interested in it. She added she was with him because she loved him.
When Vasquez said to her she wanted to get praised for donating the money, Heard replied saying "That's incorrect."
"You Wanted Good Press"
Vasquez then accused Heard of wanting good press to which Heard said that people do not generally want good press.
The lawyer went on to tell Heard that she wanted to seem altruistic to the public.
Vasquez's Cross-Examination Impressed A Lot Of People
After the heated exchange between her and Heard, people were quite impressed with Depp's lawyer.
Her Objections Also Got Many People's Attention
Vasquez was also successful in objecting to both Bredehoft's questions and Heard's answers during her testimony.
Clearly, she knew what she was doing.
People On Twitter Applauded Her
After the cross-examination, someone wrote on Twitter, "ROUND OF APPLAUSE FOR CAMILE VASQUEZ."
Another said that if they ever ended up in court, they would want Camille Vasquez to be their lawyer.
People Noticed Something Else
Vasquez seems to have a very close relationship with Depp.
The Chemistry Seems Obvious To Many
Although the lawyer is currently dating someone else, a Twitter user wished that she and Depp would end up together because they share a lot of chemistry.
The wish was expressed by another Twitter user who said they hoped that Johnny would start dating her after winning the case. The social media user also hoped that the whole thing would be turned into a romantic comedy.
Reporters Also Asked If She Was Dating Depp
When asked if she was dating Depp, she said, "Sorry."
