Johnny Depp Trial Juror Speaks Out in New Book: Women on Jury 'Were Tougher on Amber Heard
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():focal(699x172:701x174):format(webp)/Heard_1-2000-c411af1860924ca5bbc09bb468aee2ab.jpg)
A juror from Johnny Depp and Amber Heard's Virginia trial sheds light on the jury's decision-making process in a new book about the saga
By Benjamin VanHoose
Depp v. Heard trial at the Fairfax County Circuit Courthouse in Fairfax, Virginia, on May 27, 2022. - Actor Johnny Depp is suing ex-wife Amber Heard for libel after she wrote an op-ed piece in The Washington Post in 2018 referring to herself as a public figure representing domestic abuse
Johnny Depp; Amber Heard during the 2022 Virginia trial.
Credit : getty (2)
NEED TO KNOW
A male juror from the Johnny Depp v. Amber Heard trial in Virginia speaks out in a new book published on June 17
The book claims the juror said the two women among the seven-person jury "were tougher on Amber than the men"
"We didn’t believe a lot of what [Heard] was saying," said the juror, who also admitted he "enjoyed" Depp's testimony
A juror from Johnny Depp and Amber Heard's Virginia trial speaks out in a new book about the legal saga, shedding light on the jury's decision-making process.
In Kelly Loudenberg and Makiko Wholey's new book Hollywood Vampires: Johnny Depp, Amber Heard, and the Celebrity Exploitation Machine, former juror Tom Nugen, a 53-year-old retired defense contractor, offers insight into what happened in the deliberation room. According to the book, Nugen claimed the women jurors "were tougher on Amber than the men." (The seven-person jury consisted of five men and two women.)
In the book, Nugen said the jury felt there were "so many inconsistencies" and "so many holes" in Heard's story and "it was hard for us to believe any of it." "We didn’t believe a lot of what she was saying. They’re all actors; they can put on a different face if you pay them enough," he added.
"For me, I enjoyed [Depp's] testimony," he said. "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."
Per the book, Nugen said the majority of the jury didn't know who Heard was prior to the trial.
Mandatory Credit: Photo by Steve Helber/POOL/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock (12942408d) Actors Amber Heard and Johnny Depp watch as the jury comes into the courtroom after a break at the Fairfax County Circuit Court in Fairfax, Virginia, USA, 16 May 2022. Johnny Depp's 50 million US dollar defamation lawsuit against Amber Heard that started on 10 April is expected to last five or six weeks. Depp v Heard defamation lawsuit at the Fairfax County Circuit Court, USA - 16 May 2022
Amber Heard during the Virginia trial on May 16, 2022.
Steve Helber/POOL/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock
The PEOPLE App is now available in the Apple App Store! Download it now for the most binge-worthy celeb content, exclusive video clips, astrology updates and more!
To Nugen, the trial showed that "not every case of abuse is from the man."
"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. He’s got money, fame, connections. But an ordinary guy like me could lose his job and livelihood. There’s just no way of coming back from that. Before people start to put a scarlet letter on you, you have to let them have their day in court, or at least allow them to defend themselves without any prejudged ideas."
Hollywood Vampires: Johnny Depp, Amber Heard, and the Celebrity Exploitation Machine by Kelly Loudenberg and Makiko Wholey
Dey Street Books
Depp, now 62, had sued his ex-wife Heard, now 39, in Virginia over a Washington Post op-ed she'd written about domestic abuse, though she didn't mention him by name in the article. The verdict came June 1, 2022: Depp won his defamation claims, and Heard won one of her three counterclaims. They later reached a settlement and she paid him $1 million.
"I'm heartbroken that the mountain of evidence still was not enough to stand up to the disproportionate power, influence and sway of my ex-husband," Heard said in a statement reacting to the outcome at the time.
Depp said at the time, "The jury gave me my life back," and added: "I hope that my quest to have the truth be told will have helped others, men or women, who have found themselves in my situation, and that those supporting them never give up. I also hope that the position will now return to innocent until proven guilty, both within the courts and in the media."
Related Stories
Depp v. Heard Attorneys Reflect on Verdict 2 Years Later: 'I'd Like to See Society Correct Itself' (Exclusive)
Johnny Depp leaves for a recess at the Fairfax County Circuit Courthouse in Fairfax, Virginia, on May 5, 2022. - Actor Johnny Depp is suing ex-wife Amber Heard for libel after she wrote an op-ed piece in The Washington Post in 2018 referring to herself as a public figure representing domestic abuse. (Photo by Jim LO SCALZO / POOL / AFP) (Photo by JIM LO SCALZO/POOL/AFP via Getty Images); Amber Heard (L) testifies as US actor Johnny Depp looks on during a defamation trial at the Fairfax County Circuit Courthouse in Fairfax, Virginia, on May 5, 2022. - Actor Johnny Depp is suing ex-wife Amber Heard for libel after she wrote an op-ed piece in The Washington Post in 2018 referring to herself as a public figure representing domestic abuse. (Photo by Jim LO SCALZO / POOL / AFP) (Photo by JIM LO SCALZO/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)
Johnny Depp's Lawyers Were 'Concerned' He 'Might Lose His Temper' on the Stand in Amber Heard Trial
Actor Johnny Depp testifies during his defamation trial against his ex-wife Amber Heard, at the Fairfax County Circuit Courthouse in Fairfax, Virginia, April 21, 2022. - Depp is suing ex-wife Heard for libel after she wrote an op-ed piece in The Washington Post in 2018 referring to herself as a public figure representing domestic abuse. US actress Amber Heard speaks to her attorney at the Fairfax County Circuit Courthouse in Fairfax, Virginia, on April 19, 2022. - US actor Johnny Depp is suing ex-wife Heard for libel after she wrote an op-ed piece in The Washington Post in 2018 referring to herself as a public figure representing domestic abuse.
An unnamed male juror from the trial previously spoke to ABC News in 2022, saying, "A lot of the jury felt what [Depp] was saying, at the end of the day, was more believable.... He just seemed a little more real in terms of how he was responding to questions. His emotional state was very stable throughout."
That juror added at the time, "Ultimately what I think it truthful was that they were both abusive to each other. I don't think that makes either of them right or wrong. But to rise to the level of what she was claiming, there wasn't enough or any evidence that really supported what she was saying."
Welcome to Billionaire Club Co LLC, your gateway to a brand-new social media experience! Sign up today and dive into over 10,000 fresh daily articles and videos curated just for your enjoyment. Enjoy the ad free experience, unlimited content interactions, and get that coveted blue check verification—all for just $1 a month!
Account Frozen
Your account is frozen. You can still view content but cannot interact with it.
Please go to your settings to update your account status.
Open Profile Settings