Piers Morgan has accused Amber Heard of ‘playing the victim’ after she claimed the social media representation of her trial against Johnny Depp hasn’t been ‘fair’.
The Aquaman actress has sat down for her first TV interview – which is set to air on June 17 on NBC’s Today Show – since Depp won the defamation case following a six-week court battle, and she addressed the way the trial was discussed online.
In a preview for this week’s hour-long interview with Savannah Guthrie, Amber, 36, said: ‘Even somebody who is sure I am deserving of all this hate and vitriol, even if you think I’m lying, you still couldn’t look me in the eye and tell me that you think on social media there’s been a fair representation.
‘You cannot tell me that you think this has been fair.’
Now, outspoken star Piers – who has been vocal during and after the trial – has responded to the preview clip and said: ‘The jurors didn’t read any of the social media stuff, they listened to the evidence & concluded she was lying.
‘I suggest it’s time for Ms Heard to stop playing the victim.’
Elsewhere in the video, Amber insisted she doesn’t ‘blame’ the jury for their verdict, and added: ‘I don’t blame them. I actually understand. He’s a beloved character and people feel they know him. He’s a fantastic actor.’
Meanwhile, a spokesperson for Heard said in a statement: ‘Johnny Depp’s legal team blanketed the media for days after the verdict with numerous statements and interviews on television, and Depp himself did the same on social media.
‘Ms. Heard simply intended to respond to what they aggressively did last week; she did so by expressing her thoughts and feelings, much of which she was not allowed to do on the witness stand.’
Pirates of the Caribbean actor Depp was awarded a total of $15million (£12m) in compensatory and punitive damages after a jury found Heard did defame him in a 2018 article she wrote about her domestic abuse experience.
The jury agreed to award him $10m (£7m) in compensatory damages and another $5m (£3.9m) in punitive damages, but the latter were capped at $350,000 (£279k) in line with Virginia sate law.
Meanwhile, Heard was awarded $2m (£1.6m) in compensatory damages, therefore reducing Depp’s total to $8.35m (£6.7m).
Reacting to the result live on Piers Morgan Uncensored, the host previously described the verdict as a ‘complete slam dunk victory for Johnny Depp’ and a ‘wipeout for Amber Heard’, adding that it was a ‘complete vindication’ for the Edward Scissorhands actor.
‘It’s hard to imagine a bigger humiliation for Amber Heard. It’s a complete disaster and failure,’ the broadcaster remarked.
Morgan also remarked that he doesn’t believe Heard will ‘get any work after this’, although he did question whether the ‘vicious’ reaction to Heard throughout the trial ‘is ever a good thing’.
Following the verdict, Heard said she was ‘heartbroken’ and described it as a ‘setback’ for women,’ while Depp said he was ‘humbled’ and thanked the jury in a separate statement.
Amber Heard’s interview will air on Tuesday, June 14 and Wednesday, June 15 on NBC’s TODAY and Friday, June 17 on Dateline NBC 8 p.m. / 7 p.m. CT.
Credit: SourceYou can read this post on My Celebrity Life.
