John Grisham, Scot Turow, Morris Deese, and Gerry Spence are among the best writers of novels about lawyers and courtroom drama. As between them, they have written numerous best-selling books that have engulfed book enthusiasts and bookworms. Why not?
Though they write in variant styles and cover different topics, they have one thing in common. Their books are riveting, suspenseful, thrilling and down-right entertaining. Some of their novels were adopted for the movies and went on to become box office hits.
Despite the brilliance of what these authors wrote, nothing comes close to the recently concluded defamation case filed by Johnny Depp against his estranged wife, Amber Heard.
What sets the Depp versus Heard case apart from the best-selling books authored by the aforementioned authors is that it is based on real life. It is the story of a celebrity husband who was smitten by a younger wife. It tells about how they met and how they parted ways under undesirable circumstances. It was a fairytale gone wrong. It is a true story that has all the elements of what makes a production. It is thrilling and has all the ups and downs of a fictional relationship that ends up with one partner upending the other.
From the point of view of romance, it ended up wrong, though from the legal point of view, it turned out right. The couple did not end up “happily ever after” but justice was rendered to Depp.
The trial between Depp and Heard was extensively covered by mainstream and social media.
We, who followed the case, were initially shocked at the magnitude of how Depp alle-gedly inflicted physical and mental harm on Heard. We rooted for the battered wife owing to our orientation that women are the weaker sex and therefore, should be protected from their abusive husbands.
Oh, how we wished the radical women’s group Gabriela was there to assist Heard. How we endeavored to urge the American Senate to investigate “in aid of legislation” much like what happens here in our country every time a superstar is involved in a controversy. We were restrained to end. There must be a better way to deal with this kind of problem than just watching two Hollywood stars reveal their dirty linens in public.
True enough, justice was swift. The United States has its own judicial system. No Gabriela interfered and no Senate investigation was conducted. There was no need. The truth prevailed. The abuse alleged by Heard was discredited and fell on the wayside one by one. Brick by brick, Heard was shown to be lying.
Camille Vasquez, the lawyer of Depp did an excellent job. Her wits and intelligence were as adept as her beauty. She came prepared. In the course of cross-examining Heard, she covered all bases and left nothing to chance. She has all the evidences to rebut the testimony of the defendant.
In the end, she cast a reasonable doubt on the credibility of what Heard testified upon. The jury that was tasked to decide the case rendered a verdict in favor of Depp. They awarded him $15 million. But more than the monetary award that was granted in his favor is the vindication of his honor and integrity.
Depp will no longer be called a wife beater. He will no longer be portrayed as a violent man who inflicts harm on his partners. The real life confrontation shall surely make him a box-office hit. The true to life drama that Depp and Heard produced was so much entertaining than any movie.
April 23, 2024
