Johnny Depp would have never appealed if Amber Heard hadn't made the first move, Camille Vasquez says

Camille Vasquez revealed to Gayle King Thursday, during an appearance on "CBS Mornings," the primary reason why Johnny Depp filed his appeal in response to Amber Heard's.

The lawyer, who became the breakout star of the ex-couple's court battle, explained that the step was necessary for the seemingly interminable legal clash between the two Hollywood stars.

During the sit-down, Vasquez admitted that Heard's appeal was expected from Depp's legal team since the "Aquaman" actress had "indicated, since the day she lost the trial, that she was going to appeal." She also divulged that she and her team had a plan on how to respond to Heard's appeal.

Vasquez stated, "Absolutely. Mr. Depp ended up filing his own appeal, so that the court could have the full record. And [Heard] insists on continuing to litigate this matter, and we have to protect our client's interest."

When King asked how Johnny Depp and Amber Heard couple possibly "heal and move on" amid their ongoing court battle, Camille Vasquez said, "It's pretty standard legal procedure. We just are hopeful that the court will uphold the verdict, which we think was the right verdict, and allow both parties to move on."

The lawyer also shared that Depp would have never appealed if Heard had not made the first move. Vasquez furthered, "This was never about the money for Mr. Depp. But in order to protect his interests, as his representative, we have to respond to the appeal with his own appeal."

Though the jury found Amber Heard defamed Johnny Depp in her 2018 op-ed and awarded the "Black Mass" actor over $10 million, they sided with the "London Fields" actress on one of her three counterclaims. Depp was found to have defamed Heard via comments attorney Adam Waldman made in 2020.

An unnamed source close to Depp told PEOPLE that it was an "overwhelmingly positive verdict" for the "Fantastic Beasts" star, who "believes that this is the time for both parties to move on with their lives and heal."

The unidentified tipster added, "But if Ms. Heard is determined to pursue further litigation by appealing the verdict, Mr. Depp is filing a concurrent appeal to ensure that the full record and all relevant legal issues are considered by the Court of Appeal."

Reps for Amber Heard have yet to comment about the counter-appeal of Johnny Depp.