Featured Image Credit: Getty Images/Steve Helber/POOL/AFP/Jim Watson
Topics: News, US News, Johnny Depp, Amber Heard, Film and TV
Kit Roberts
Topics: News, US News, Johnny Depp, Amber Heard, Film and TV
A man who claims to have been hired as a private investigator during the Amber Heard and Johnny Depp defamation trial has revealed some of the testimonies he gathered during his investigations.
Paul Barresi says he was hired by Amber Heard's lawyers to find evidence against Johnny Depp during the high profile trial.
The court case arose after Heard made accusations against Depp in an op ed piece for the Washington Post in which she described being a victim of domestic abuse.
Despite not naming Depp explicitly in the piece, he was deemed to be identifiable enough for a defamation case to be brought against Heard.
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Heard then counter-sued against Depp to the tune of $100 million, with the case going on to receive extensive media attention.
Ultimately a jury found in favour of both Depp's original suit and Heard's counter-suit, with Depp being awarded $10.35 million in damages while Heard was awarded $2 million.
All outstanding accounts from the trial are believed to have been settled by the end of 2022.
Now, private investigator Paul Barresi has revealed some of the things he was told while working for Heard's lawyers in his self-published book.
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In the book the 74-year-old revealed that he had been tasked with digging up any evidence which would paint Depp in a bad light.
The claims in the book include quotes describing Depp as a 'gentleman's gentleman' who did not have 'a mean bone in his body'.
When Barresi approached Depp's friends he says they described the actor as having 'respect and adoration for women'.
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Barresi was hired by Heard's legal team in 2019, but was not specific about which of Depp's defamation trials he had worked on.
He wrote: “Through this journey, I aimed to honour our shared humanity, shedding light on the man behind the myths and offering a narrative grounded in genuine understanding and compassion."
In an Instagram statement after the 2022 trial, Depp said: "Speaking the truth was something that I owed to my children and to all those who have remained steadfast in their support of me. I feel at peace knowing I have finally accomplished that."
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Heard posted: "The disappointment I feel today is beyond words. 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.”
UNILAD has reached out to representatives of Amber Heard for comment.