A new book titled Hollywood Vampires: Johnny Depp, Amber Heard, and the Celebrity Exploitation Machine has been released, and it gives a first-time behind-closed-doors account of the sensationalized 2022 multimillion-dollar defamation trial.
The tell-all features input from a 53-year-old retired defense contractor, Tom Nugen, who claims the jury was rather biased towards the Aquaman actress, favoring Depp’s accounts over hers.
The trial, which came to fruition after Heard published an op-ed in the Washington Post, calling herself a victim of abuse while married to the Pirates of the Caribbean actor, resulted in Depp suing her for $50 million, and Heard counter-suing for double the amount.
Nugen claims the jury viewed everything Heard said with disdain.
The jury used the term ‘crocodile tears’ to describe Amber Heard’s emotional episodes
Image credits: Michael Kovac/Getty Images
“It was hard for us to believe any of it,” the book co-authored by Kelly Loudenberg and Makiko Wholey quotes Nugen as saying.
The reason, according to the juror, was that the actress’s version of events was “full of holes” and “inconsistencies.”
“She would answer one question and she would be crying, and two seconds later she would turn ice cold,” Nugen recalled.
Image credits: Entertainment Tonight
The jury viewed these erratic changes of emotion suspiciously, and some “used the expression ‘crocodile tears,’” to describe her fits.
They were pro-Johnny Depp all the way
One challenge that stood out above the rest was the fact that both came from industries where winning crowds over was part of their day-to-day.
“They’re all actors; they can put on a different face if you pay them enough,” Nugen observed.
Image credits: Entertainment Tonight
Still, the jury was dubious about Heard, despite her skill and experience in the trade. “We didn’t believe a lot of what she was saying,” the 53-year-old explained.
On the other hand, their attitude toward Depp was the polar opposite.
The female jurors were harsher on Heard
Nugan claims that few of his fellow jurors had never heard of Depp’s ex-wife prior to the court case—while Depp, thanks to his onscreen career, was a household name.
Image credits: HarperCollins
Unlike Heard, Nugen claims that he enjoyed Depp’s accounts.
“He was pretty entertaining going back and forth with Heard’s lawyers. We were sitting there for eight hours a day, and having him on the stand was a breath of fresh air,” Nugen was quoted as saying.
He also noted that the women on the jury were harsher on Heard than their five male colleagues.
Nugen believes the trial’s outcome proved that it is not only men who abuse
Image credits: Inside Edition
Contrary to Heard’s later characterization of the trial, Nugen believes that its outcome testified to the fact that not all abuse is inflicted by men.
“I agree, in a lot of cases in the past it probably was the man. But you can’t just jump to that conclusion. For someone like Johnny Depp, he can weather the storm,” Nugen said.
“He’s got money, fame, connections.”
Image credits: Law&Crime Network
He went on to say that if allegations like these were brought against the average male who did not have Depp’s resources, they would likely be ruined.
“An ordinary guy like me could lose his job and livelihood. There’s just no way of coming back from that,” Nugen said, trying to put himself in Depp’s shoes.
An anonymous juror said the same in 2022
Image credits: Law&Crime Network
It is not the first time a juror broke ranks to leak information on the trial.
In 2022, Good Morning America spoke to an anonymous male juror. At that early stage, he already mirrored Nugen’s statements, claiming that Heard’s account of the events were unbelievable.
“A lot of Amber’s story didn’t add up,” the leaker said from a position out of the camera’s range.
“The majority of the jury felt she was more the aggressor.”
Image credits: Law&Crime Network
He went so far as to say that Heard alternated her sudden changes of emotion with moments of staring intensely at the jury, making them feel uncomfortable.
Of Depp, he said, “He just seemed a little more real in terms of how he was responding to questions. His emotional state was very stable throughout.”
Social media stands by the ruling
Image credits: Cliff Owen/Getty Images
Social Media has since weighed in on the news and they believe the jury got the ruling right.
One user captured the sentiment when she wrote, “Either way, the jury got it right. Case closed!”
Image credits: Ron Sachs/Getty Images
“They were in a toxic relationship. I don’t see either of them being ‘innocent.’ They should have just admitted that to each other and called it a day,” wrote another.
Not everyone was neutral and one person wrote, “Everybody knew she was lying. That’s the reason why she lost.”
The internet thinks there was a lot of poor acting in the trial
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