Johnny Depp’s lawyers, Benjamin Chew and Jessica Meyers break down the actor’s testimony during his defamation trial with Amber Heard.
In the new A&E special Interrogation Raw: Celebrity Under Oath, which aired December 26, Benjamin and Jessica reflected on the 2022 Virginia defamation case and the strategy they used for the actor to win the case.
At first, Benjamin said, “Johnny’s use of humour undermined whatever serious point Amber’s counsel was trying to make.”
We wanted to humanise Johnny before the jury so they could understand why hitting the woman he loved was something that he’s just not capable of,” explained the actor’s attorney.
However, Benjamin revealed, “The one thing that we’re concerned about is whether he might lose his temper. The other side is gonna do everything possible to get Johnny to show anger.”
Benjamin further said, “One of the things that lawyers try to do on cross-examination is to maintain control of the witness.”
“That’s something that Johnny simply did not allow Amber’s attorney Ben Rottenborn to do,” remarked an insider.
Benjamin mentioned that they did contact the Pirates of the Caribbean star after the verdict since he was unable to attend the courtroom at the time.
“He was elated, and he sounded as if the weight of the world was off of his shoulders. I mean, he sounded like a kid. He was thrilled,” recalled the attorney.
However, speaking to NBC News with Savannah Guthrie after the verdict in June 2022, Amber disclosed that she felt Johnny “used his charisma to win over jurors”.
Elaborating on why she was scared of cross-examination, the Aquaman star added, “The scariest, most intimidating thing for anybody talking about sexual violence is not being believed, being called a liar and being humiliated.”
