Johnny Depp’s lawyer Camille Vasquez made her closing argument against Amber Heard on Friday, May 27. During her final addresses to the court, the lawyer tried to discredit the Aquaman actress’s claims of abuse about her ex-husband. As Camille made her closing argument, she argued that Amber, 36, had been abusive towards Johnny, 58. “She’s a deeply troubled person, violently afraid of abandonment, desperate for attention and approval,” she said.
Early on in her closing statements, Camille had alleged that Amber had distorted the allegations of abuse. “In fact, there is an abuser in this courtroom, but it is not Mr. Depp, and there is a victim of domestic abuse in this courtroom, but it is not Ms. Heard,” she said.
Both Amber’s and Johnny’s lawyers retreaded the allegations made during the trial and spoke about the evidence before the jury decides who ultimately wins the trial. Amber’s lawyer Ben Rottenborn had argued, “If Amber was abused by Mr. Depp, even one time, then she wins.”
During the closing rebuttal, Camille’s statements harkened back to a statement that Johnny’s legal had released after Amber had first taken the stand during the trial, where they called her account on the witness stand “the performance of her life.” She accused her of lying about the allegations of domestic abuse. “The evidence overwhelmingly shows that Ms. Heard is an abuser, and that she is a liar,” she said. “She lied about Mr. Depp and took on the role of a lifetime as a public figure representing domestic abuse.”
During the final rebuttal before the jury deliberates, Amber’s lawyer made one final argument that statements made by Johnny’s lawyer Adam Waldman have hurt the actress’s career. He ended by asking for Johnny to be held “accountable,” and he referred to Amber as a victim of abuse. “Stand up for victims of domestic abuse everywhere who suffer in silence. Stand up for the freedom of speech,” he said. “Give Amber heard her voice back. Give Amber Heard her life back.”
Johnny is suing Amber for $50 million for defamation over a 2018 op-ed that she penned for The Washington Post, which detailed her alleged experiences as a victim of abuse. Johnny has denied claims that he ever abused his ex-wife. Amber countersued him for $100 million for defamation, citing statements by his former lawyer.