During Depp’s six-week defamation trial against Amber Heard over an op-ed published by The Washington Post in 2018, Vasquez was one of his key attorneys.
A jury in Fairfax, Virginia, found Heard guilty of defaming her ex-husband with an article in which she claimed she was a victim of domestic abuse, awarding Depp $15 million in damages and Heard $2 million in compensatory damages after the court upheld her argument that Depp had defamed her.
There was social media speculation during the trial that Vasquez was dating her Hollywood client, which she has now addressed.
‘I guess it comes with the territory of being a woman just doing her job,’ she told People as she denied claims.
‘It’s disappointing that certain outlets kind of ran with it or said that my interactions with Johnny — who is a friend and I’ve known and represented for four-and-a-half years now — that my interactions in any way were inappropriate or unprofessional. That’s disappointing to hear.’
The lawyer noted she cares ‘very deeply’ about her clients and insisted the ‘entire team’ became closer during the proceedings.
‘And, I’m Cuban and Colombian. I’m tactile. What do you want me to say? I hug everyone. And I’m not ashamed about that,’ she added.
Meanwhile, she said it ‘broke [her] heart’ to see Depp ‘fighting for his life’ and listening to ‘the most horrific allegations being made against him’.
Vasquez has a boyfriend and said she’s ‘very happy’ in her relationship, while noting it’s ‘unethical for us to date our clients’.
She added: ‘It’s also an unethical charge being made. It’s sexist. It’s unfortunate and it’s disappointing, but at the same time it kind of comes with the territory. I can’t say I was all that surprised.’