Johnny Depp’s glamorous lawyer, Camille Vasquez, has become a household name in recent days, thanks to her cutthroat cross-examination of the actor’s ex-wife, Amber Heard, at their blockbuster defamation trial in Virginia.
But while the legal eagle, 37, has been savaging Heard on the stand, she has put on a far more affectionate display with her “Edward Scissorhands” star client, 58. A body-language expert has even suggested their interactions paint Depp as a film-ready “romantic hero.”
At various points during the trial, Vasquez has been seen smiling supportively at Depp and has even embraced him inside the courtroom.
Some on social media have speculated that the pair are an item, with Vasquez remaining tight-lipped on romance rumors as she exited the courthouse on Wednesday.
But one body-image expert says that tender exchanges between the pair are likely manufactured in a bid to make Depp appear softer and more likable — almost like a “romantic hero” from one of his older movies.
“It looks flirtatious but that’s probably the point,” expert Judi James told the Daily Mail on Thursday. “If a picture paints a thousand words, these ‘words’ look straight out of the pages of [romance publishing company] Mills & Boon.
“Her behavior in court places Depp back in role as the romantic hero,” James further theorized. “For Depp’s loyal fans these dramatic rituals will seem like validation. ‘If this smart, beautiful woman thinks he is OK then maybe he is’ will be the implied message.”
A photograph of Vasquez embracing Depp as she closed her eyes and smiled contentedly was beamed around the world. But James believes it was all rehearsed for the cameras, describing it as a “moving piece of body language theater.”
Meanwhile, Depp has been seen reciprocating Vasquez’s affectionate displays, pulling out her chair and whispering in her ear.
The actions make the actor appear gentle and charming — a contrast to the violent and erratic person that ex-wife Heard has been describing on the stand.
Meanwhile, James said the decision to have Vasquez cross-examine Heard was similarly deliberate, claiming that a “fresh, smart, fragrant and confident-looking” female grilling the “Aquaman” actress helps throw further doubt on claims Depp was abusive.
There were numerous testy exchanges between Vasquez and Heard during the cross-examination, with the lawyer pressing the actress as to why there were no medical records stemming from an alleged assault back in March 2015.
In a separate showdown, Vasquez got Heard to concede that she had not yet donated the entirety of her divorce settlement to charity as she had promised. Heard insisted that she had “pledged” to give away the money, but had been unable to “fulfill the obligations.”
Vasquez graduated from LA’s Southwestern Law School in 2010 and the University of Southern California in 2006. She was named “One to Watch” by The Best Lawyers in America for 2021 to 2022.
Depp is suing Heard for defamation over a 2018 Washington Post op-ed that the actress wrote, in which she said she was a victim of sexual violence.
She did not specifically name Depp in the article, but it was written after Heard filed for a restraining order against her ex-husband in 2016 over abuse allegations.
Depp is seeking $50 million in damages. Heard has filed a $100 million countersuit.
