QUEEN OF THE COURT

How Johnny Depp's whip-smart attorney became the star in his court battle with ex-wife Amber Heard

- MAXINE PETERS

LESS than two months ago few people outside the US legal fraternity knew who she was. She wasn't even her client's first pick for lawyer - he'd wanted a more high-profile legal eagle with experience in celebrity cases.

But Camille Vasquez was what he got. And now, after watching her in action during the six-week Johnny Depp vs Amber Heard trial, the world knows exactly who the 38-year-old courtroom whiz is.

Every day she arrived at the Fairfax County Circuit Courthouse in Virginia in designer outfits and heels, makeup immaculate, hair in glossy waves, flashing a smile at the hordes of journalists and onlookers.

Inside the courtroom she was brutal, unsheathing her swords to such devastating effect that even Amber's experienced attorney, Elaine Charlson Bredehoft, was out of her depth at times.

And when the jury finally delivered its verdict and declared Johnny the winner of a fight more bruising than a heavyweight bout, Camille turned to her jubilant team and mouthed a single word, "Wow!"

Her client wasn't in court - he was in the UK touring with guitarist Jeff Beck. So the many avid watchers of the trial weren't rewarded with what would likely have been another hug between the actor and his lawyer.

The touchy-feely relationship Johnny (59) and Camille had added to the rampant interest in the trial. The internet went into overdrive at the frequent sight of the pair tittering, touching hands, and putting their arms around each other.

But rumours of a romance were unfounded Camille even laughed out loud when a journalist asked her about it outside the courthouse.

The trial has placed her firmly in the spotlight. A hashtag of her name has more than 980 million impressions, a TikTok video of her in action in court has been viewed hundreds of millions of times, and the law school where she studied has seen a 1 820% rise in searches.