Amber Heard’s attorney is blasting what she believes was a “lopsided” skewing of online support forJohnny Deppahead ofWednesday’s verdictin hisdefamation trialagainst Heard.
Duringa Thursday appearanceon theTodayshow, Elaine Charlson Bredehoft toldSavannah Guthriethat her client was “demonized” during the trial and that internet favor was “absolutely” in Depp’s corner, which she believes affected the outcome of the case.
“And it was horrible — it really, really was lopsided,” the attorney continued. “It was like the Roman Colosseum, how they viewed this whole case.”
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Bredehoft added, “I was against cameras in the courtroom and I went on record with that, and had argued against it because of the sensitive nature of this [case]. But it made it a zoo.”
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Depp was found to have defamed her on one of three claims in her countersuit. She was awarded $2 million in damages.
JIM WATSON/AFP/Getty
ThePirates of the Caribbeanstar was found to have defamed Heard on one of three claims in her countersuit. She was awarded $2 million in damages.
In astatement releasedafter the verdict was reached, Depp said he believed the best was yet to come.
“Six years ago, my life, the life of my children, the lives of those closest to me, and also, the lives of the people who for many, many years have supported and believed in me were forever changed. All in the blink of an eye,” thePirates of the Caribbeanstar said. “False, very serious and criminal allegations were levied at me via the media, which triggered an endless barrage of hateful content, although no charges were ever brought against me. It had already traveled around the world twice within a nanosecond and it had a seismic impact on my life and my career. And six years later, the jury gave me my life back.”
STEVE HELBER/POOL/AFP via Getty; EVELYN HOCKSTEIN/POOL/AFP via Getty
“I am truly humbled,” he continued. “My decision to pursue this case, knowing very well the height of the legal hurdles that I would be facing and the inevitable, worldwide spectacle into my life, was only made after considerable thought. From the very beginning, the goal of bringing this case was to reveal the truth, regardless of the outcome. 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.”
Depp’s legal team also addressed the outcome whilespeaking to the pressoutside of the Fairfax County Courthouse in Fairfax, Virginia.
“Our judicial system is predicated on each person’s right to have his or her case heard and we were honored to assist Mr. Depp in ensuring that his case was fairly considered throughout the trial,” echoed attorney Benjamin Chew. “We are also most pleased that the trial has resonated for so many people in the public who value truth and justice. Now that the jury has reached its conclusive verdict, it’s time to turn the page and look to the future.”
The new verdict came 19 months afterDepp lost his U.K. libel suitback in November 2020. He sued British tabloidThe Sunfor calling him a “wife-beater.” Heard testified to back up the claims, and a London judge upheld the outlet’s claims as being “substantially true.” In March 2021, his attempt tooverturn that decision was overruled.
STEVE HELBER/AFP/Getty
“It’s a tale of two trials,” Bredehoft said Thursday on theTodayshow. “Johnny Depp brought a suit in the U.K. for the same case, and the burden of proof was easier for him there —The Sunhad to actually prove that it was true. And the court found there, and we weren’t allowed to tell the jury this, but the court found that Mr. Depp has committed at least 12 acts of domestic violence, including sexual violence, against Amber.”
“So what did Depp’s team learn from this? Demonize Amber and suppress the evidence,” she continued. “We had an enormous amount of evidence that was suppressed in this case that was in the U.K. case. In the U.K. case, when it came in, Amber won; Mr. Depp lost.”
RELATED VIDEO: Johnny Depp Wins Defamation Case Against Amber Heard, Awarded $15 Million in Damages
“What, basically, they did here is demonize her,” she alleged. “They were able to suppress the medical records, which were very significant because they showed a pattern going all the way back to 2012 of Amber reporting this to her therapist, for example. We had a significant amount of texts including from Mr. Depp’s assistants, saying, ‘When I told him he kicked you, he cried. He is so sorry.’ That didn’t come in.”
Bredehoft also said that “a number of things were allowed in this court that should not have been allowed,and it caused the juryto be confused.”
“We weren’t allowed to tell them about the U.K. judgement, so the damages [are] completely skewed,” the lawyer added. “There are no damages. It stopped at November 2, 2020, when the judgment came down in the U.K.”
source: people.com
