HOLLYWOOD—The trial continues and it seems that Amber Heard’s team will not call Johnny Depp to the stand, in the last days of the high-profile trial. Originally, her team had planned to call Mr. Depp for more questioning on May 23, but changed course without explanation at midday. Depp, 58, is suing his ex -wife for $50 million for a column she wrote in which she claimed to be a victim of domestic abuse.
Heard, 36, is countersuing. The case is expected to wrap this week, which if it does, everyone will suffer Depp withdrawals. British supermodel Kate Moss, a former girlfriend of Depp, is among witnesses expected to take the stand in the remaining days of the defamation trial. On May 23, the court heard from several witnesses called by Heard’s team, including psychologist David Spiegel. Dr. Spiegel testified that Depp “has behaviors that are consistent with someone that both has substance use disorder as well as behaviors of someone who is perpetrator of intimate partner violence.”
Depp’s lawyer sought to undermine this testimony on cross-examination, highlighting that Dr. Spiegel reached his conclusions without any direct contact with Depp. A hand surgeon also testified that it was unlikely that the actor’s finger was cut during a fight with Heard in Australia in the way that he described. Just to reiterate, Depp said the tip of his middle finger was severed when Heard threw a vodka bottle at him.
The jury saw graphic images injured finger as Dr. Richard Moore said that the damage was more consistent with being pinched by a closing door. Dr. Moore didn’t physically examine Depp at the time of the injury. Heard’s team is expected to rest its case early this week before Depp’s team takes its final chance to sway the jury. The testimony from the two medical doctors on May 23, was just the latest in a long line of competing expert testimony.
One psychologist, called by Depp’s team, testified that Heard suffers from two personality disorders. Another, called by Heard’s team, rejected this finding and said instead that she had post-traumatic stress disorder. Both Heard and Johnny have each testified in the weeks-long battle, offering starkly different accounts of their brief, tempestuous marriage.
A case of he said, she claimed Johnny was prone to alcohol and drug binges, easily triggered by feelings of jealousy and often consumed by violent rages. Depp, in turn, alleged he was the victim of Heard’s volatile moods, telling jurors he routinely endured her verbal, emotional and physical abuse.
While this is going on, Johnny Depp’s lawyer, Camille Vasquez becomes an internet celebrity. Millions of viewers across the globe tune in to watch the legal battle between Hollywood heavyweight Johnny and his ex-wife. The young lawyer from California has caught the attention of millions amid the defamation trial her client brought against his ex-wife. Ms. Vasquez, 37, has become a co-star of the show, gaining fans for her sharp legal style.
T-shirts adorned with her name and hash-tags praising her are making the rounds of social media. A two-minute long video of Ms. Vasquez repeatedly interrupting Ms. Heard’s attorney to “object”- a legal term used to lodge a formal protest in court- has amassed well over 27 million views on TikTok in just a few days. Vasquez was born in San Francisco to Cuban and Columbian parents, Vasquez is a 2006 graduate of the University of Southern California and in 2010 graduated from Southwestern Law School in Los Angeles.
She is an associate at Brown Rudnick, the high-profile law firm contracted by Johnny Depp to represent him in his $50 million defamation case against Amber Heard. She is one of nine attorneys from the firm involved in the trial. In 2021, she was named one of the Best Lawyer magazine’s “One To Watch” attorneys. One of the most memorable moments was Ms. Vasquez grilling Amber about the fate of $7 million previously pledged to charity. Yet, never sent.
Rose’s Scoop: Wishing everyone a safe and Happy Memorial Day weekend!
