Amber Heard says social media frenzy surrounding trial was not ‘fair’

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Amber Listened to is speaking out virtually two months following a Fairfax County jury discovered she defamed ex-partner Johnny Depp with a 2018 op-ed in which she described herself as “a general public figure symbolizing domestic abuse.”

Speaking to “Today” co-anchor Savannah Guthrie in a clip released Monday, Read claimed she thought of the way social media figured into the discussion surrounding the months-extended defamation demo to be unfair.

“Even somebody who is sure I am deserving of all this hate and vitriol, even if you consider that I’m lying,” she explained, “you still could not glimpse me in the eye and inform me that you believe on social media there is been a reasonable illustration.”

Depp sued Heard for $50 million around the Washington Put up op-ed. On June 1, he was awarded $15 million in damages (of which he will get $10.35 million, as Virginia condition legislation boundaries punitive damages). Listened to gained $2 million in accordance with a countersuit claim that former Depp lawyer Adam Waldman defamed her.

The former couple, who fulfilled doing the job collectively on 2011′s “The Rum Diary,” married in 2015. Read submitted for divorce the subsequent year. In the course of the defamation demo, which took spot in Fairfax County Circuit Court docket, Depp followers flocked to both equally the courthouse and to social media to help him and criticize Heard, who was generally painted as a liar and abuser herself. The Post described in early May perhaps that the hashtag #justiceforjohnnydepp had received about 7 billion views across TikTok, while #justiceforamberheard had gotten about 25 million.

Following the verdict: confusion, elation and — for a several — disappointment

Heard law firm Elaine Bredehoft stated on multiple early morning displays the working day following the closing verdict that Heard supposed to appeal and “has some fantastic grounds for it.” Bredehoft explained to Guthrie on NBC’s “Today” that Depp’s lawyers “demonized” Read and suppressed critical proof, these types of as medical information supporting Heard’s claims.

Bredehoft also stated Heard’s attorneys were barred from mentioning to the jury that Depp two years back lost a libel situation against the Sunshine, a British tabloid he sued for referring to him as a “wife beater.”

Attorneys on Depp’s team responded to Bredehoft’s statements whilst making their have morning exhibit rounds a 7 days later on. Camille Vasquez explained to Guthrie on “Today” that the U.K. case was a “different procedure,” and that the Virginia trial had “different disclosure obligations” for just about every aspect. She and Benjamin Chew also denied that social media experienced impacted the jury’s choice, stating on “Today” that they experienced “no cause to consider the jurors violated their oath” by participating with the posts.

Seemingly in anticipation of pushback from Depp’s legal professionals, Heard’s group issued a statement Monday early morning defending Heard’s final decision to communicate publicly about the verdict.

“Johnny Depp’s authorized workforce blanketed the media for times right after the verdict with several statements and interviews on television, and Depp himself did the same on social media,” the statement reads. “Ms. Heard merely intended to reply to what they aggressively did past week she did so by expressing her views and emotions, a lot of which she was not allowed to do on the witness stand.”

In the current interview — which will air Tuesday and Wednesday on “Today,” as perfectly as Friday on “Dateline” — Listened to told Guthrie she does not “care what one thinks about me or what judgments you want to make about what happened in the privacy of my very own residence, in my marriage, driving closed doorways.” She also explained she did not blame the jury for not believing her claims.

“I actually recognize,” Heard mentioned. “He’s a beloved character and people today feel they know him. He’s a great actor.”