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By Ashley Gale
Off-Platform Staff Writer
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A trial lawyer took to social media to explain the statement that could help Johnny Depp win the defamation trial against his ex-wife, Amber Heard.
Depp is suing Heard for $50 million because of an op-ed she wrote in 2018 that was published by The Washington Post. Depp's lawyers argue that the op-ed was obviously about him.
Preston Moore, a trial lawyer that graduated from Harvard Law School, took to TikTok to explain the instructions jurors were given—and why he thinks that means it's likely Depp will win the case. The viral video has over 200,000 views and 20,000 likes.
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Moore shows an example of the Depp-Heard trial form that the jury is considering. He goes on to explain the defamatory statement that gives Depp the best chance to win—a line quoted from Heard's Post op-ed: "I had the rare vantage point of seeing in real-time how institutions protect men accused of abuse."
He reads the seven questions the jury must find yes to. He answers yes to the following questions:
- If Heard made or published that statement.
- If the statement was made about Depp.
- If the statement had a "defamatory implication" about Depp.
- If the defamatory statement was designed and intended by Heard.
- If the statement conveyed a defamatory implication to someone who saw it other than Depp.
- If Depp showed clear evidence that Heard knew what she was writing wasn't true.
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The one question that Moore was hesitant about was surrounding if the statement was false.
"This one is interesting," he said explaining how if Heard saw first-hand that Depp was protected by institutions when the op-ed was released and the accusations were made against him.
"It kind of side-steps abuse altogether and gets into that question of whether she really watched institutional protection and did she have this inside view of, like, CEOs of major film companies protecting Johnny," he said.
"I didn't hear that evidence anywhere I mean I might have missed it but the reason that this one is important is because it's a particular line of defamation where the jury really could throw the book to Amber," he continued.
Other TikTok users were quick to comment about the lawyer's assessment and how they hope the jury votes.
"You are the only person that has made this clear for me to inderstand. Let's hope the Jury has this indepth way of thinking. Thank you," one wrote.
"we need to remember that the jury is made up of normal people, like not lawyers. they dont have all of this knowledge that lawyers do," a user said.
"He wasn't protected. He lost everything," another pointed out regarding Depp's loss of films.
One said, "for this trial which was aired worlwide we don't need the 'verdict of the jury' we all are the jury, and Johnny has already won!"
Newsweek reached out to Moore for comment.
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