It is now more than two years since Johnny Depp and Amber Heard faced each other in one of the biggest and most public trials ever televised. Despite the passing of time, there are still discussions about how the two actors handled themselves during and after the rulings were made. While Depp was seen to have come out the successor in the main, despite being found guilty on his own defamation charge, his legal team has revealed they had some doubts about his ability to keep his cool when taking the stand.

In a new A&E special, Interrogation Raw: Celebrity Under Oath, one of Depp’s lawyers, Benjamin Chew, explains that although the actor was well known for joking his way around Heard’s legal team, there was a worry that he could be goaded into reacting angrily in court. Chew said:

“Johnny’s use of humor really undermined whatever serious point Amber’s counsel was trying to make. We wanted to humanize Johnny before the jury so they could understand why hitting the woman he loved was something that he’s just not capable of. But the one thing that we’re concerned about is whether he might lose his temper. The other side is gonna do everything possible to get Johnny to show anger.”

While this was a very real possibility for Depp while under a constant barrage of questions from the prosecution, it didn’t happen.

“One of the things that lawyers try to do on cross-examination is to maintain control of the witness. That’s something that Johnny simply did not allow [Heard’s attorney Ben Rottenborn] to do.”

The Fallout of Depp vs. Heard

In the years since the trial between Johnny Depp and Amber Heard, the two actors have led very separate, and seemingly very different, lives. Following six weeks in the public eye, both stars needed to take stock, and have now seemingly set their sights on different paths.

Heard left Hollywood with her daughter, and moved to Spain for a life out of the spotlight. Although she appeared in 2023’s Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom, that role was filmed long before the trial; it was her last major film role to date. While earlier in the year Heard was reportedly looking forward to returning to acting again, in December it was revealed that the actress is expecting her second child. Recently she came out in support of Blake Lively following news of the It Ends with Us star’s lawsuit against Justin Baldoni, who shared a PR firm with Depp.

Depp, meanwhile, has been quietly returning to work in Hollywood with a return to acting with Jeanne Du Barry, and a stint behind the camera on Modi: Three Days on the Wing of Madness. He is reportedly playing Satan in a new Terry Gilliam movie, reteaming with Penelope Cruz for the thriller Day Drinker, and could still be seen back in the role of Jack Sparrow in a new Pirates of the Caribbean movie.