Johnny Depp's Attorney Speaks Out, Explains Why She Had 'Confidence' There Would Be A Verdict Where Lion's Share Went To Her Client Over Amber Heard

It’s somewhat hard to believe, but it’s already been over a year since a verdict was reached in Johnny Depp and Amber Heard’s defamation trial. The ruling was largely in Depp’s favor, as Heard was found guilty on three counts of defaming her ex-husband. Depp was found liable for one count of defamation though was also awarded millions of dollars in punitive and compensatory damages. The Pirates of the Caribbean actor can credit much of his success in the courtroom to his lawyer, Camille Vasquez, who was a key player in the proceedings. Just recently, Vasquez reflected on the case, specifically discussing the “confidence” she had regarding the chances of her, her colleagues and client being successful.

Camille Vasquez’s life has changed tremendously over the past year, thanks to her high-profile win in court. She’s received a number of major professional opportunities. Though she’s becoming further removed from Johnny Depp and Amber Heard’s legal dispute as time passes, Vasquez still finds herself fielding questions about it. She discussed the squabble yet again during an interview with FOX Nation host Nancy Grace, who asked the lawyer if she ever thought the case wouldn’t go her way. Vasquez emphasized just how strongly she felt about her team’s approach and explained why she didn’t have much doubt: 

I really had confidence in our case, and I thought to myself as we were leading up to this, ‘People just need to get out of my way, because I know how to put this case on.’ I had studied Ms. Heard. I had studied that evidence. I knew the big lies we needed to address.

Ahead of the defamation trial, the 39-year-old attorney wasn’t exactly a novice. The Brown Rudnick associate had participated in a few cases prior to that. However, it’s fair to say the aforementioned battle between Johnny Depp and his ex was the biggest endeavor of her career up to that point. So it’s somewhat interesting to hear that going in, she had so much confidence that she and her team would see a verdict that was largely favorable for them. 

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In the aftermath of the case, much was said about what contributed to the verdict. One of the jurors, for example, took part in an interview and discussed the alleged factors that worked against Amber Heard. The person – who remained anonymous – claimed the jury wasn’t swayed by Heard’s “crocodile tears.” While giving their explanation, the person also reasoned that jurors thought the Fantastic Beasts alum’s sentiments were more “believable.” Heard is currently navigating post-trial life and has moved to Spain for a fresh start of sorts.

Camille Vasquez is also seeing major changes as, since the verdict dropped, she’s been on the come-up. She was promoted from associate to partner at her law firm and was even assigned to advise the embattled Kanye West, who she later dropped. Vasquez also parlayed her success into a job with NBC News, though reports alleged she wasn’t fitting in well early on. 

More than one year after the legal proceedings that brought her to prominence, she’s also still kept in contact with Johnny Depp to some extent. Camille Vasquez spoke about the status of their relationship earlier this year and confirmed that while they don’t speak on the phone much, they do text here and there. It seems that at this point, the two will be firmly linked for the foreseeable future due to the defamation case. And based on the frequency by which she receives questions on that matter, one gets the feeling Vasquez will still be fielding questions about it for some time.

Erik Swann
Senior Content Producer

Erik Swann is a Senior Content Producer at CinemaBlend. He began working with the publication in 2020 when he was hired as Weekend Editor. Today, he continues to write, edit and handle social media responsibilities over the weekend. On weekdays, he also writes TV and movie-related news and helps out with editing and social media as needed. He graduated from the University of Maryland, where he received a degree in Broadcast Journalism. After shifting into multi-platform journalism, he started working as a freelance writer and editor before joining CB. Covers superheroes, sci-fi, comedy, and almost anything else in film and TV. He eats more pizza than the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.