Wednesday 1 June 2022 11:40 PM 'Confirms what we have said since the beginning': Depp's lawyer Camille Vasquez ... trends now
Johnny Depp's lawyer has said that the jury's verdict 'confirms what we have said from the beginning' - insisting that the allegations he abused ex-wife Amber Heard were without evidence and defamatory.
Speaking outside the court in Fairfax, Virginia, a jubilant Camille Vasquez praised the five men and two women of the jury for their decision, reached at the end of a six week trial and after 12 hours of deliberations.
They found overwhelmingly in the 58-year-old Depp's favor, and decided that Heard, 36, had defamed him with her 2018 Washington Post op ed.
The jury awarded him $15 million in damages, and her $2 million for one part of her counter-claim.
'Today's verdict confirms what we have said from the beginning – that the claims against Johnny Depp are defamatory and unsupported by any evidence,' said Vasquez.
'We are grateful, so grateful to the jury for their careful deliberation.'
Depp's lead attorneys Camille Vasquez and Benjamin Chew are seen outside of the courtroom after Depp's victory
Throngs of reporters and fans are seen crowding around Camille Vasquez and Benjamin Chew as they speak outside the courthouse after the verdict
Vasquez and Chew hug after the jury in Virginia delivered their verdict on Wednesday
Depp was not in court for the verdict, having traveled to England to perform with his band.
Heard struggled to keep her composure, but was calm. Immediately after she issued a statement, saying she was 'heartbroken' and describing it as a setback for free speech and for women.
'The disappointment I feel today is beyond words,' she said.
'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.
'I'm even more disappointed with what this verdict means for other women. It is a setback. It sets back the