Johnny Depp's Lawyer Camille Vasquez Shuts Down Romance Rumors with Actor: 'It's Sexist'
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Camille Vasquez is aware of those online Johnny Depp romance rumors. And she resents the speculation.
Over the course of the six-week defamation trial — which ended with the jury siding mostly with Depp, 58, against his ex-wife Amber Heard — Vasquez, one of Depp's lead attorneys, became the subject of social media fodder. One prevailing storyline spun by viewers who obsessively tuned in to the live-streamed court case involved speculation Vasquez was dating her movie-star client.
A source close to the trial dispelled the rumor mid-May, telling PEOPLE it was "entirely, 100 percent, unequivocally untrue."
In a new interview, Vasquez addresses the public attention and tells PEOPLE of the false speculation, "I guess it comes with the territory of being a woman just doing her job."
She continues, "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."
Listen below to an exclusive interview with Camille Vasquez on our daily podcast PEOPLE Every Day.
"I care very deeply about my clients, and we have obviously become close. But when I say we, I mean the entire team, and of course that includes Johnny," says Vasquez. "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."
Vasquez explains that "my work is my love" and "when I love, I love really deeply."
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SHAWN THEW/POOL/AFP via Getty Images Camille Vasquez and Johnny Depp
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Of Depp, the lawyer adds, "This man was fighting for his life and it broke my heart to see him day in and day out have to sit there and listen to the most horrific allegations being made against him. And if I could provide any bit of comfort, then of course I would do that, whether it's holding his hand or letting him know that we were there and we were going to fight for him because he deserved it."
Vasquez, who has a boyfriend, says she's "very happy in my relationship" and emphasizes that it is "unethical for us to date our clients."
"It's also an unethical charge being made. It's sexist," she adds. "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."
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The attorney, who was recently made partner at the Brown Rudnick law firm, became a bit of an online celebrity during the trial, which took place in Fairfax, Virginia. TikTok posts and tributes were made about her as she developed a fan base among Depp's supporters, something Vasquez didn't see coming.
"It's funny, but also it's surreal. It's overwhelming, but I really believe that to the extent that I could inspire young women to stay in school, work hard and maybe pursue a career in law, then it was all worth it because that's what's important at the end of the day," she says. "And [TikTok is] the new medium for communication and that's how young people and people in general really communicate and absorb news and become inspired. So if that's the forum, so be it."
