‘It got blown out of proportion’: Alice Cooper says about bandmate Johnny Depp and Amber Heard’s USD 15 Million trial as ‘nobody cared’

Alice Cooper, renowned rocker and member of the Hollywood Vampires, has offered his take on bandmate Johnny Depp’s highly publicized defamation trial against his ex-wife Amber Heard. Cooper, fresh off a two-month tour with Depp, emphasized that the trial was blown out of proportion and attracted far less attention among the band members and tour environment than the media frenzy might suggest.

Alice Cooper’s perspective on Johnny Depp and Amber Heard’s trial 

In an interview with Vulture, Cooper stated, “I don’t think it was ever mentioned on the tour because nobody cared.” He admitted to not watching any part of the trials, confidently asserting Depp’s victory due to the unusual circumstance of having ex-partners siding with him in court. For Cooper, the legal ordeal didn’t affect his perception of Depp’s role in the band. He said “I never watched a moment of the trials. It was so blown out of proportion. It was such a Hollywood thing. I knew Johnny was gonna win because how many people have other exes literally on their side testifying for him? That never happens. I turned it right off and said, ‘Well, you know, Johnny will weather this storm and when he’s onstage, he’s our guitar player.’”

Cooper, Depp, and Aerosmith guitarist Joe Perry joined forces to create the Hollywood Vampires in 2012. Their recent tour across the U.K. and Europe happened one year after the televised trial ended.

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Johnny Depp being a part of the band despite domestic abuse allegations

When questioned about whether there was hesitation to bring Depp on tour in light of the allegations of domestic abuse against him, Cooper responded, “Not at all.” He shared Depp’s perspective that the trial was a phase that warranted minimal attention. Cooper added “If you talk to Johnny about it, it was something that happened,” he said. “He was just like, ‘Yeah, yeah, what’s the next song?’ For Johnny, it was one of those things where… you can’t say it got blown out of proportion, but I don’t know why they would televise the proceedings, right? It’s because of the fame of both people.”

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In June 2022, a Virginia jury found Heard guilty of defaming Depp in a 2018 Washington Post op-ed, which referenced her past allegations of domestic violence. The jury also ruled that Depp had defamed Heard while responding to her accusations. The trial concluded with Depp receiving $10 million in compensatory damages and $350,000 in punitive damages (following a reduction per state law), while Heard was awarded $2 million in compensatory damages for her counterclaim.

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