Celebrity couples have a way of capturing the public's attention, just look at A-list pairs like Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce or Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds. But the downside to this is there's a huge audience when things go bad, such as Johnny Depp and Blake Lively's break-up and long legal battle. And Depp’s lawyer admits they were worried he might "lose his temper" during the trial.
The verdict in the Depp/Heard case largely put the Pirates of the Caribbean actor on top, although he was also found guilty on a charge of defamation. Information about his legal team's strategies are being revealed in the A&E special called Interrogation Raw: Celebrity Under Oath, where lawyer Benjamin Chew admitted to concerns about putting Depp on the stand. In his words:
Johnny's use of humor really undermined whatever serious point Amber's counsel was trying to make. We wanted to humanize Johnny before the jury so they could understand why hitting the woman he loved was something that he's just not capable of. But 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.
This is likely a sentiment that's been shared by countless attorneys over the years. But with the high stakes and accusations of abuse made by Amber Heard, keeping Depp calm and collected was likely doubly important. And losing his temper could potentially change the way the jury perceived the 61 year-old actor.
Both Depp and Heard took the stand during their trial, for entire days at a time. And during this time, it was the other team's job to try and poke holes in their stories. In the same special, Chew spoke about how the actor performed while on the stand. In his words:
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 [Heard's attorney Ben Rottenborn] to do.
This sentiment might be correct, given how the verdict ultimately shook out in his favor. Although as previously stated, he was also found guilty on one count, so it wasn't a total victory.
Since then, both Heard and Depp have been living out of the country, presumably in hopes of stepping away from the public eye. Fans keep waiting for the Edward Scissorhands actor to return to Hollywood, with some hoping he'll join another Pirates of the Caribbean movie. For now, check the 2025 movie release dates.
