A US jury on Wednesday found Johnny Depp and Amber Heard defamed each other, but sided far more strongly with the 'Pirates Of The Caribbean' star following an intense libel trial involving bitterly contested allegations of sexual violence and domestic abuse. Photo: AFP
Amber Heard is disappointed "beyond words" regarding the verdict to Johnny Depp's defamation lawsuit against her. The jury in the trial ruled that Heard defamed Depp when she wrote a 2018 Washington Post op-ed alluding to her past claims of domestic violence. Heard is now ordered to pay US$15mil in damages to Depp.
"The disappointment I feel today is beyond words," Heard wrote in a statement. "I'm heartbroken that the mountain of evidence still was not enough to stand up to the disproportionate power, influence, and sway of my ex-husband."
Heard continued: "I'm even more disappointed with what this verdict means for other women. It is a setback. It sets back the clock to a time when a woman who spoke up and spoke out could be publicly shamed and humiliated. It sets back the idea that violence against women is to be taken seriously."
"I believe Johnny's attorneys succeeded in getting the jury to overlook the key issue of Freedom of Speech and ignore evidence that was so conclusive that we won in the UK," Heard concluded. "I'm sad I lost this case. But I am sadder still that I seem to have lost a right I thought I had as an American - to speak freely and openly."
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The jury also found that Depp defamed Heard in the course of fighting back against her charges. While the jury awarded Depp US$10milin compensatory damages and US$5mil in punitive damages, it also awarded Heard US$2mil in compensatory damages for her counterclaim.
As Variety reported on the verdict: "The court clerk read aloud the jury's verdict, finding that Heard had defamed Depp with each of three statements in the op-ed. The jury also found that Heard had acted with "actual malice", meaning that they were convinced she had made the statements knowing they were false. The jury ruled in favour of Heard on one out of three statements that were made by Depp's lawyer, Adam Waldman." – Reuters
