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Credit: ABCJohnny Depp sued his ex-wife, Amber Heard, 35, (Aquaman (2018), The Rum Diary (2011), Drive Angry Piper (2011), and more) for defamation after she wrote an op-ed for The Washington Post, where she referred to herself as a “public figure representing domestic abuse.”
Ms. Heard countersued Mr. Depp, claiming that he “defamed her when his former lawyer released statements saying her allegations of abuse were a hoax.”
Both Johnny Depp and Amber Heard, as well as many witnesses including Depp’s ex, Kate Moss, took the stand and pled their cases over a six-week trial. A seven-person jury went into deliberation on Friday, May 27 and reached a verdict today, Wednesday, June 1.
Amber Heard awaited the verdict in the courtroom next to her attorneys, but Johnny Depp is currently in the United Kingdom as he has been making surprise appearances at Jeff Beck gigs and did not make it back to the United States. According to reports, Depp watched the verdict live from the United Kingdom.
On Wednesday, June 1, the jury found Ms. Heard defamed Mr. Depp by publicly accusing him of domestic abuse. The jury found that Mr. Depp proved Ms. Heard lied about her allegations.
In Heard’s countersuit against Depp, the jury found that Depp’s former attorney, Adam Waldman, publicly defamed her. Heard now owes Depp $15 million. Depp owes Heard $2 million in compensatory damages.
Although Depp was not inside the courtroom while the verdict was read, he has since released a statement regarding the outcome, saying:
“Six years ago, my life, the life of my children, the lives of those closest to me, and also, the lives of the people, who for many, many years have supported and believed in me were forever changed.
All in the blink of an eye.
False, very serious and criminal allegations were levied at me via the media, which triggered an endless barrage of hateful content, although no charges were ever brought against me. It had already traveled around the world twice within a nanosecond and it had a seismic impact on my life and my career.
And six years later, the jury gave me my life back. I am truly humbled.
My decision to pursue this case, knowing very well the height of the legal hurdles that I would be facing and the inevitable, worldwide spectacle into my life, was only made after considerable thought.
From the very beginning, the goal of bringing this one was to reveal the truth, regardless of the outcome. Speaking the truth was something that I owed to my children and to all those who have remained steadfast in their support of me. I feel at peace knowing I have finally accomplished that.
I am, and have been, overwhelmed by the outpouring of love and the colossal support and kindness from around the world. I hope that my quest to have the truth be told will have helped others, men or women, who have found themselves in my situation, and that those supporting them never give up. I also hope that the position will now return to innocent until proven guilty, both within the courts and in the media.
I wish to acknlowedge the noble work of the Judge, the jurors, the court staff and the Sheriffs who have sacrifice their own time to get to this point, and to my diligent and unwavering legal team who did an extraordinary job in helping me to share the truth.
The best is yet to come and a new chapter has finally begun.
Veritas numquam perit.
Truth never perishes.”
Amber Heard also released a statement, which you can read here.
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