Johnny Depp's attorneys: Verdict not setback to #MeToo

The attorneys for Johnny Depp in the film star's successful defamation lawsuit against ex-wife Amber Heard say they do not believe the verdict is a setback for the #MeToo movement and for the credibility of women charging domestic abuse.

"No. I mean, frankly we don't," Camille Vasquez, 37, appearing with fellow counsel Benjamin Chew, 60, told Savannah Guthrie in a live appearance Wednesday on NBC's "Today." "We're here to talk about the case that we tried, right? We encourage all victims to come forward, have their day in court, which is exactly what happened in this case."

In a prerecorded appearance on ABC's "Good Morning America" that aired almost simultaneously, Vasquez similarly stated, "We encourage any victim to come forward," adding, "Domestic violence doesn't have a gender." Pressed by interviewer George Stephanopoulos on whether she believes the verdict does not affect the #MeToo movement "in any way, shape or form," she replied, "We do not. We believe that the verdict speaks for itself. The facts are what they were. The jury made a unanimous decision based on those facts."

On June 1, a Virginia jury determined "Aquaman" star Heard, 36, had defamed Depp, who turns 59 on Thursday, in a 2018 Washington Post op-ed she penned in which she described herself as "a public figure representing domestic abuse." She did not directly state his name in the piece. Depp was awarded $15 million, reduced to $10.35 million due to a state cap on punitive damages. The jury also awarded Heard $2 million in her countersuit against Depp, over what they found to be a false claim against her by a Depp attorney.

"Pirates of the Caribbean" franchise star Depp on Tuesday joined the social-media platform TikTok, posting a 30-second video montage of himself playing guitar onstage and arriving to court amid throngs of sign-waving fans.

Addressing "my most treasured, loyal and unwavering supporters," Depp wrote in accompanying text: "We've been everywhere together, we have seen everything together. We have walked the same road together. We did the right thing together, all because you cared. And now, we will all move forward together. You are, as always, my employers and once again I am whittled down to no way to say thank you, other than just by saying thank you. So, thank you. My love & respect, JD."

In a statement through her spokesperson, Heard responded that, "As Johnny Depp says he's 'moving forward,' women's rights are moving backward. The verdict's message to victims of domestic violence is … be afraid to stand up and speak out." The ellipses in the statement represent a pause and not missing text.

A separate statement read, "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. What's next? A movie deal and merchandising?"