Camille Vasquez Calls Amber Heard's 'Sobbing Without Tears' an Act

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In closing arguments on Friday in the Johnny Depp v. Amber Heard defamation trial, Depp's attorney Camille Vasquez accused Heard of acting in the courtroom, saying it was "the performance of her life."

As the trial comes to an end, attorneys have been giving their closing arguments. Depp sued ex-wife Heard for $50 million for defaming him in an op-ed she wrote in 2018, in which she claimed she was a victim of domestic and sexual abuse. Heard has sued Depp for $100 million for nuisance. Depp has continuously denied the accusations of his abuse, making the trial a whirlwind of differing testimonies and witness accounts.

On Friday, Vasquez began the court's closing arguments, and she accused Heard of faking her tears on the witness stand.

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Johnny Depp's attorney Camille Vasquez said in her closing argument that Amber Heard was giving the performance of a lifetime in the courtroom. Above, Vasquez speaks during closing arguments in the Depp v. Heard trial... STEVE HELBER/POOL/AFP via Getty Images

"She came into this courtroom prepared to give the performance of her life, and she gave it," Vasquez said. "Miss Heard's acting coach, Christina Sexton, testified that Miss Heard has difficulty crying when she is acting. You saw it: Miss Heard sobbing without tears while spinning elaborate, exaggerated, fantastical accounts of abuse."

Sexton testified on May 18 via video deposition that Heard would be crying in some of their sessions after fights with Depp, and she knew Heard was genuinely crying because the Aquaman actress often struggled to produce real tears while performing.

As posted by Sierra Gillespie on Twitter, Vasquez continued to speak to the jury, saying, "It was a performance. She told you what she thinks you need to hear to convict this man as a domestic abuser and a rapist. She wants you to believe she was abused countless times. Countless times over the entire course of their relationship. But as Mr. Chew and I promised you, the evidence just does not bear that out."

Co-counsel Benjamin Chew also spoke during the closing arguments, saying that some of Depp's fans will "never look at him the same way again."

"Because of what Miss Heard did, and because of what she said, Mr. Depp will go to his grave knowing no matter what he does, no matter the outcome of this trial, there are people who used to look up to him who now believe that he beat a woman, which is the worst thing you can say about a man," Chew told the jury.

The jury is scheduled to begin deliberation on Friday afternoon, and if they do not reach a verdict on Friday, deliberations will resume after the Memorial day weekend.

Follow Newsweek's live blog for additional updates coming from Fairfax, Virginia.

Update 5/27/2022 at 11 a.m. EDT: This story has been updated to include more information on Vasquez's and Chew's closing arguments.

About the writer

Emma Mayer is a Newsweek Culture Writer based in Wyoming. Her focus is reporting on celebrities, books, movies, and music. She covered general news and politics before joining the culture team and loves to cover news about new books, films, Taylor Swift, BTS, and anything else she might be obsessing over at the moment. Emma joined Newsweek as a fellow in 2021 and came on full-time in January 2022 after graduating from Colorado Christian University in December. You can get in touch with Emma by carrier pigeon or by emailing e.mayer@newsweek.com. Languages: English.


Emma Mayer is a Newsweek Culture Writer based in Wyoming. Her focus is reporting on celebrities, books, movies, and music. ... Read more