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In 2022, the world was captivated by Johnny Depp’s defamation case. One of the individuals who stood out during this trial was Camille Vasquez, a trial lawyer who recently joined Sheppard, Mullin, Richter & Hampton LLP’s Business Trial practice group. As one of the lead attorneys in the Johnny Depp vs. Amber Heard trial, Vasquez made headlines for her shark-like performance, particularly in the cross-examination of Amber Heard.
Vasquez opens up about her role in Depp’s defamation trial and her incredible story of becoming a lawyer in a recent interview recorded live in Dallas, Texas, on the State Bar of Texas Podcast, hosted by Rocky Dhir.
Camille Vasquez was born in San Francisco to Latino immigrants. Her mother is from Cuba, and her father is from Colombia. She credits her success to them and their role in her professional career. From an early age, they encouraged her to become either a lawyer or a doctor, but it was their belief in her that made her feel she could accomplish anything she put her mind to.
After achieving magna cum laude honors at the University of Southern California, where she pursued a dual major in political science and communications, Vasquez furthered her education by obtaining a Juris Doctor from Southwestern Law School. Although her legal journey began in insurance law and progressed to in-house employment law, she ultimately found her niche in litigation and arbitration, where she specialized in advocating for plaintiffs in defamation cases. Her talent and expertise were recognized when she was hand-picked to join a partner going to Brown Rudnick LLP. It was Ben Chew.
Vasquez worked with Johnny Depp for about five years before the Depp v. Heard Case, when she helped represent him against his former attorney and business manager. She then represented Depp in his defamation suit against his ex-wife, Amber Heard.
In the Johnny Depp case, Vasquez indicated that the case was never about money damages but rather his reputation โ โall anyone has is their name, so my goal was to give Johnnyโs back to him.โ As a result, extensive preparation went into the trial, including thousands of hours and 80 depositions spanning more than nine months.
When Johnny Depp first mentioned bringing a lawsuit against Heard, Vasquez was not a big proponent of the idea, especially since Depp is a very private person. However, when she mentioned this to Depp, “[Johnny Depp] asked me if I had ever been accused of something that I had not done myself. And I thought about that for a second, and I said to him, ‘No, I don’t think I have.’ And he said, ‘Talk to me once you have, kid.'”
According to Vanderbilt University Law School, Vasquez, and Ben Chew then made an early decision in the case that Vasquez would go after Heard while Chew defended Depp. According to Vasquez, a man referring to Heard as a liar about sexual abuse could potentially result in public backlash and asserted that a strategy where they had to both defend and attack would not be effective.
The defamation case attracted millions of viewers worldwide and resulted in an explosion of social media posts, podcast commentaries, and video reactions. In fact, the hashtag #JohnnyDepp was used over 1 million times on TikTok alone. While clips of Heard and Depp circulated like wildfire, one couldnโt help but notice how many clips, memes, and threads there were about Camille Vasquez. She captivated viewers with her sharp legal style and successful cross-examination of witnesses, including Amber Heard herself. Vasquez even called out Heard of faking her bruises and lying about her statements and other witnesses.
One of the more memorable moments of the trial was when Heard avoided answering Vasquezโs questions and instead faced the jury to talk to them. Vasquez called Heard out for this behavior by saying, โMiss Heard, there is no question pending. And I would appreciate it if you wouldnโt be making an argument to the jury.โ
Vasquez gained worldwide attention through her performance during the trial. The public viewed her not only as a successful woman and lawyer but also as an inspirational Latina role model who demonstrated her remarkable abilities and received recognition for them.
With her outstanding performance during the Depp v. Heard trial, there is no question as to why Camille Vasquez is one of the most wanted and sought-after attorneys today. Learn about other exceptional legal talent from around the world by listening to Legal Talk Networkโs collection of podcasts.
Legal Talk Network is a podcast network for legal professionals with hosts from well-known organizations and brands in legal. Over 20 active podcasts cover important legal news and developments, including access to justice, law school, industry events, legal technology, and the future of law.
