Johnny Depp’s lawyers speak out after defamation court win

Johnny Depp’s attorneys hinted Wednesday that the Hollywood superstar may not collect his payout from ex-wife Amber Heard, insisting he is satisfied with his “total win” finally clearing his name.

“We obviously can’t disclose attorney-client communications, but as Mr. Depp testified … this was never about money for Mr. Depp,” one of the star’s attorneys, Ben Chew, told “Good Morning America” when asked about Heard’s fear of being left impoverished.

“This was about restoring his reputation — and he’s done that,” Chew said carefully.

“It was a total win for Johnny,” he told George Stephanopoulos.

Fellow attorney Camille Vasquez, the hotshot lawyer who became a celebrity herself and was this week promoted to a partner in her law firm, called it “disappointing” that Heard’s team called the victory a blow for women’s rights and the #MeToo movement.

She said the actress was brought down instead by them “using her words against her.”

“Every question that was asked was tied to something she had said previously.

“And I think the jury got to see the world got to see and hear from Miss Heard” about the truth in the couple’s toxic relationship.

“We believe that evidence speaks for itself. … The jury made a unanimous decision based on those facts,” she said.

“We encourage any victims to come forward, domestic violence doesn’t have a gender,” she said of evidence presented showing that Depp had been attacked, too. 

Depp won his bombshell defamation lawsuit after seven Fairfax jurors ruled in his favor that a Washington Post op-ed Heard wrote about becoming a “public figure representing domestic abuse” had sullied his reputation and damaged his career with her claims of domestic abuse.

The actor — who was too busy rocking with guitar legend Jeff Beck to be in court to hear he had won his case — had said immediately after the victory that being able to speak his truth had left him “at peace.”

“False, very serious and criminal allegations were levied at me … And six years later, the jury gave me my life back. I am truly humbled,” he said at the time.

Heard’s team, however, had already expressed disdain at the attorneys’ planned media blitz this week even before what they said was aired.

“It is as unseemly as it is unprofessional that Johnny Depp’s legal team has chosen to do a victory lap for setting back decades of how women can be treated in the courtroom,” Heard’s spokesperson said in a statement

“What’s next? A movie deal and merchandising?”

The attack came even though Heard’s own lawyer, Elaine Bredehoft, had already given interviews to some of the same outlets the morning after the loss, blaming it on Depp’s team’s approach to “demonize Amber and suppress the evidence.”

Heard’s team also lashed out at her ex-husband for taking to TikTok and crowing about the widespread support he has received.

“As Johnny Depp says he’s ‘moving forward,’ women’s rights are moving backward,” a spokesperson for Heard said in a statement.

“The verdict’s message to victims of domestic violence is … be afraid to stand up and speak out.”

The Washington Post has since added a detailed editor’s note to Heard’s op-ed to highlight how it was ruled defamatory.