Johnny Depp’s star lawyer Camille Vasquez is celebrating the victory of a case that made her famous.
Ms. Vasquez, who quickly became a source of internet junkies at the trial, hugged her colleague after her client won a blockbuster libel case against his ex-wife Amber Heard.
Speaking outside the Virginia state courthouse, Ms. Vasquez highlighted her affection for her movie-star client, which was so evident throughout the case that it even sparked — albeit completely unfounded — rumors of romance.
“Today’s verdict confirms what we’ve said from the outset – that the allegations against Johnny Depp are defamatory and unsupported by any evidence,” she said.
“We are grateful and very grateful for the jury’s careful deliberation.”
Mr Depp won against Ms Heard after a six-week televised trial.
Ms Heard was ordered to pay the actor $15 million in damages, but the jury also awarded her $2 million to cover part of her own counterclaim.
A jury found she was defamed by one of Depp’s lawyers, who accused her of creating a detailed hoax that included brutally vandalising their flat to make police look worse.
Johnny Depp’s lawyer Camille Vasquez leaves court after sentencing
(EPA)
A quirk of Virginia’s legal system means Depp will receive a total bonus of $8.35 million.
A jury of five men and two women reached its verdict Wednesday after nearly 13 hours of deliberation in District Court in Fairfax, Virginia.
Mr Depp did not appear in court for the sentencing. He works in the UK and was spotted in a Newcastle pub. Ms Heard was present to read the sentence.
Depp fans cheered wildly outside the courthouse as the jury delivered its verdict.
Depp’s legal team celebrates victory in defamation trial against Amber Heard
(YouTube / Law & Crime)
Ms Vasquez has become one of the best-known figures among the followers of the case.
After she cross-examined Ms. Heard, a Depp fan meme reimagined the lawyer as Thor, the god of Thor portrayed by Chris Hemsworth in the Marvel movies.
Google Trends, a tool provided by Google to measure the popularity of various search terms over time, showed a surge in search interest for the term “Camille Vasquez” from May 16 to 18.
On May 18, a TMZ photographer asked Vasquez about online rumors that she and Depp may be dating. Vasquez smiled and declined to answer further. TMZ previously reported that the rumors were untrue and that the two were “absolutely not dating,” citing “sources associated with Camille Vasquez.”
After the sentencing, Ms Heard released a statement saying she was “heartbroken”.
Johnny Depp’s lawyer Camille Vasquez becomes source of internet glamour
(Associated Press)
“The disappointment I feel today is indescribable. I am heartbroken that the mountain of evidence is still not enough to resist the disproportionate power, influence and influence of my ex-husband,” she said.
“I’m even more disappointed by what this sentence means for other women. It’s a setback. It throws the time back to a time when women who speak up and speak out could be publicly shamed and humiliated. It overturns that violence against women should be taken seriously behavioral ideas.”
The result, she added, was an attack on free speech.
“I’m sorry I lost the case. But it’s even more sad that I seem to have lost the right I thought I had as an American — to speak freely and publicly.”