Johnny Depp’s lawyers are concerned about his “nerves” during Amber Heard’s trial

The actor sued his ex-wife for defamation after she referred to herself as a public figure representing domestic violence in a 2018 op-ed for The Washington Post.

As part of his defence, Johnny Depp testified during the trial, a move his lawyers were concerned about due to concerns that he might lose his temper on the stand.

Speaking on A&E’s Interrogation Raw: Celebrity Under Oath, two of the lawyers who helped Johnny Depp win his defamation case against Amber Heard admitted they were initially afraid of making the wrong decision by allowing the actor to testify during the trial.

“The only thing we’re worried about is whether he might lose his temper,” said Benjamin Chiu, one of the lawyers. Page six.

Chiu then explained that the “other party’s” strategy was to do “everything possible” to provoke Depp to show anger.

If successful, this strategy would likely sway the jury into believing Heard’s claims of domestic violence, as stated in the op-ed that led to the libel trial.

However, despite the risks associated with Depp giving evidence, Chiu and the other lawyers agreed to the move, hoping it would “humanize him” in front of the jury and help them understand why “hitting the woman he loved was something he couldn’t do.”

When Depp testified in April 2022, his lawyers’ concerns were dispelled, as the actor not only remained calm, but also destabilized the approach of Heard’s lawyer, Ben Rottenborn.

During his testimony, he chose to answer some of Heard’s attorney’s questions with jokes, such as: “I assaulted a couple of lockers, but I didn’t assault Ms. Heard,” when a video was played of him in which he appeared to be acting erratically, according to eagle.

He also responded with “I mean isn’t happy hour anytime?” When Rottenborn asked if the actor “sometimes drinks whiskey in the morning.”

According to Cho, by using humor, Depp was able to “undermine whatever serious point Amber’s lawyer was trying to make.”

“One of the things lawyers try to do during cross-examination is maintain control over the witness. That’s something Johnny wouldn’t allow Heard’s lawyers to do,” Chiu added.

At the end of the trial, Depp emerged victorious, with the jury awarding him $10 million in compensatory damages and $5 million in punitive damages.

In a statement after the verdict, he thanked the jury for the decision, saying they “gave me back my life.”

He added: “From the beginning, the goal of bringing this case was to uncover the truth, regardless of the outcome. Telling the truth was something I owed to my children and to everyone who remained steadfast in their support of me.” “.

Meanwhile, Heard, through her representative, expressed her disappointment with the decision and described it as a setback for women.

“I am saddened that the mountain of evidence is still insufficient to stand up to the disproportionate power, influence and influence of my ex-husband,” she said.

“I’m even more disappointed by what this ruling means for other women,” Heard added. “It’s a setback. It turns back the clock on a time when a woman who spoke out could be shamed and humiliated. It disrupts the idea that violence against women should be taken seriously.”

Heard had initially planned to appeal the ruling but eventually agreed to settle with Depp

For $1 million in December 2022.

After the trial, she moved to Madrid, Spain with her first daughter, Ona Page, whom she welcomed in April 2021 via surrogacy.

It was recently announced that the actress is expecting baby No. 2, although few details have been revealed for privacy reasons.

“It’s still very early in the pregnancy, so you’ll appreciate that we don’t want to go into too many details at this point,” Heard’s rep said at the time. People magazine. “Suffice it to say Amber is happy with herself and Oonagh Paige.”