Johnny Depp’s Lawyers Reflect on the Defamation Trial Against Amber Heard: “The Weight of the World Was Off.."

The high-profile defamation trial between Johnny Depp and Amber Heard, which gripped audiences globally, has come under renewed spotlight as the actor’s legal team shared insights into their strategy and challenges in a new special, Interrogation Raw: Celebrity Under Oath, reports People.

Benjamin Chew and Jessica Meyers, two of Depp’s lawyers, discussed the hurdles of the 2022 Virginia trial, including managing the actor’s temper during intense cross-examinations.

“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,” said Chew, highlighting Depp’s composure as a key factor in the courtroom.

Chew also explained how Depp’s humour during his testimony helped shift the narrative. “Johnny's use of humour really undermined whatever serious point Amber's counsel was trying to make. We wanted to humanise Johnny before the jury so they could understand why hitting the woman he loved was something that he's just not capable of.”

However, the team admitted that keeping Depp’s temper in check was one of their primary concerns. “The other side is gonna do everything possible to get Johnny to show anger,” Chew revealed.

After the verdict, Chew said Depp felt as if “the weight of the world was off of his shoulders.”

The trial stemmed from a 2018 op-ed written by Amber Heard, in which she described surviving domestic abuse without naming Depp. He sued her for defamation, and the jury ultimately sided with him. Following a settlement, Heard was ordered to pay $1 million in damages.

In her statement post-verdict, Heard expressed her disappointment: “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.”

Depp, on the other hand, said, “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.”

The former couple, who married in 2015, divorced in 2016 after Heard filed for a restraining order against Depp. None of Heard’s lawyers participated in the Interrogation Raw special.