Depp Verdict Will ‘Absolutely’ Have ‘Chilling Effect’ for Women, #MeToo Movement, Legal Analyst Tells MSNBC

Johnny Depp’s victory in his defamation case against ex-wife Amber Heard will have a “chilling effect” for women who want to speak up about abuse and the #MeToo movement, lawyer and legal analyst Caroline Polisi told MSNBC on Wednesday after the verdict was read, shocking many.

Heard was found guilty on all counts and Depp was awarded $15 million, ending a years-long battle between the two. Depp accused Heard of defaming him for referring to the actor as an abuser in a 2018 Washington Post op-ed. Depp denied being behind any such abuse and said his lawsuit was meant to clear his name.

Reacting to the verdict, Polisi said a statement from Heard calling the verdict a “setback” for women is “undeniably true.”

“Without a doubt, this will have a massive, chilling effect on the #MeToo movement, on women speaking out,” Polisi, who has represented CNN host Don Lemon in the past, said. “Regardless of who you believe in this case, Amber Heard’s statement there is undeniably true.”

Depp, the lawyer added, had more resources in the court battle, though he still had an “uphill battle” as Heard’s team only needed to prove one instance of abuse. By attacking her credibility on a number of other issues, the jury was convinced of Depp’s innocence, according to Polisi.

“They were able to convince the jury that she was lying with respect to every single allegation and so absolutely, without a doubt, this will have far-reaching repercussions,” she said.

In Heard’s reaction to the verdict, Heard said she had “lost” her right to free speech.

“I believe Johnny’s attorneys succeeded in getting a jury to overlook the key issue al Freedom of Speech and ignore evidence that was so conclusive that we won in the UK,” she said. “I’m sad I lost this case. But I am sadder still that I seem to have lost a right I thought I had as an American — to speak freely and openly.”