Perez Hilton claims Amber Heard was a "liar" but also a "victim" in light of a juror's latest revelations in the Johnny Depp case

Social media commentator and podcaster Perez Hilton revisited the high-profile 2022 defamation trial involving Johnny Depp and Amber Heard in a video posted on his YouTube channel on June 18, 2025. Reacting to newly surfaced insights from a former juror in the case, Hilton claimed that Amber Heard was a "liar" but also a "victim" in light of the juror's revelations.

"I don’t regret being sympathetic for her. She’s a liar, but she was also a victim. Both things can be true," Hilton said.

As per a People Magazine report dated June 17, 2025, Depp and Heard’s high-profile case recently received renewed attention after the publication of a book titled Hollywood Vampires: Johnny Depp, Amber Heard, and the Celebrity Exploitation Machine.

This book by Kelly Loudenberg and Makiko Wholey featured comments from Tom Nugen, a 53-year-old retired defense contractor who also served on the jury in the case and offered a rare glimpse into the deliberation process.

Referring to Nugen’s revelations in the book, Hilton drew attention to a point in his account. As per Nugen, the female jurors were reportedly more critical of Heard than their male counterparts.

"The jury felt there were so many inconsistencies and so many holes in Heard’s story, and it was hard for us to believe any of it. We didn’t believe a lot of what she was saying," Hilton cited.

Drawing from Nugen’s statements, Hilton opined that the jury was “seduced by celebrity.” He explained that the jury had little or no familiarity with Amber Heard before the trial began, whereas Johnny Depp was widely recognized—a factor that Hilton suggested "helped him" in the courtroom.

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Perez Hilton weighs in on jurors' revelations from the Johnny Depp vs Amber Heard trial, says "testimony should not be entertaining"

Amber Heard and Johnny Depp: Image via Getty Images

In the aforementioned podcast episode, Hilton also weighed in on the revelations made by former juror Tom Nugen regarding the defamation trial between Johnny Depp and Amber Heard in Kelly Loudenberg and Makiko Wholey's new book.

Among the many insights, Hilton noted that Nugen shared that he had "enjoyed [Depp’s] testimony" during the Virginia trial, calling it "pretty entertaining going back and forth with Heard’s lawyers."

Reacting to this commentary, Hilton criticized the idea that a witness’s testimony shouldn't be valued for its entertainment factor.

"Testimony should not be entertaining. It should be the truth…And unfortunately, hers was a lot of ‘not-truths,’ and this made the jury happy. And that could have tainted their deliberation and ultimate verdict," Hilton added.

As per the People Magazine report mentioned above, in another notable passage from the book, Nugen also addressed broader public perceptions of gender and domestic violence allegations.

"I agree, in a lot of cases in the past, it probably was the man. But you can’t just jump to that conclusion," he said.

He further added:

"For someone like Johnny Depp, he can weather the storm. He’s got money, fame, connections. But an ordinary guy like me could lose his job and livelihood... Before people start to put a scarlet letter on you, you have to let them have their day in court, or at least allow them to defend themselves without any prejudged ideas."

Hilton read out this passage and expressed his strong agreement with this perspective.

The podcaster also used this argument to share his approach to the ongoing legal dispute in Hollywood involving actors Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni. Referring to their legal issues, Hilton emphasized his effort to keep an “open mind.”

"And I believed Amber Lively (Blake Lively) until I didn’t. Until I read everything and got the receipts, proof, timeline that I needed to make up my own mind," he added.

The legal battle between Johnny Depp and Amber Heard began in March 2019, when Depp filed a defamation lawsuit in Virginia against Heard over a 2018 Washington Post op-ed she wrote about surviving domestic abuse.

The trial, which drew massive media attention, began in April 2022 in Fairfax County, Virginia. On June 1, 2022, the jury delivered a verdict largely in Depp’s favor. The former couple later reached a settlement, with Heard paying Johnny Depp $1 million.

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Johnny Depp is currently focused on his acting career after a period of personal challenges, including his highly publicized trial with ex-wife Amber Heard. Depp is currently filming Day Drinker, a thriller directed by Marc Webb, in Spain.

Amber Heard currently lives in Madrid, Spain. She recently welcomed twins in May 2025, who joined their big sister, Oonagh Paige, who was born in 2021 (as per People magazine).

Edited by Somava