The six-week trial was livestreamed and dominated the Internet, with gruesome evidence from both performers and other witnesses.
Source: Evelyn Hockstein / Reuters
June 1, 2022 – Actress Amber Heard waits for the jury to decide whether or not she defamed her ex-husband Johnny Depp.
In his defamation lawsuit against ex-wife Amber Heard, Johnny Depp won on Wednesday, with a jury determining that she libeled him when she penned an op-ed claiming being a victim of domestic abuse.
Although the statutory cap on punitive damages means Depp will only receive $10.35 million, a seven-person civil jury ordered Heard to pay $15 million. The jury did, however, order Depp to pay Heard $2 million for her counterclaim that she was defamed when Depp’s lawyer dismissed her allegations as a fake.
As the judge pronounced the verdict, Heard remained impassive, her eyes downcast. Depp was not in Virginia on Wednesday; instead, he was in the United Kingdom, performing with musician Jeff Beck. His legal team, on the other hand, hugged each other as the judge walked out of the courtroom.
Soon after the verdict, Heard issued a statement on Twitter, claiming her disappointment was “beyond words.
“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,” she said. “I’m even more disappointed with what this verdict means for other women. It is a setback.”
Depp shared in his own announcement that his purpose was to clear his name.
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,” he said. “From the very beginning, the goal of bringing this case 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.”
The verdicts bring to a close a six-week trial that saw gruesome testimony from both stars and other witnesses, including Heard, who detailed how she was sexually abused by Depp many times during their relationship. The court proceedings grabbed social media as well, particularly on TikTok, where users examined Heard’s testimony for toxic conspiracy theories backing Depp.
Source: Tom Brenner / Reuters
Amber Heard departs the Fairfax County Circuit Courthouse after the jury returned a split decision on June 1, 2022.
Depp filed the case after Heard’s op-ed was published in the Washington Post. Despite the fact that Heard did not name Depp, his complaint claims that the op-ed implied that it was about him, and that led to Depp losing out on millions of dollars in production deals.
However, Heard’s lawyers contended that her words were protected by the First Amendment and that they couldn’t be labeled as defamation because Depp was physically violent during their marriage.
“Think of the article’s purpose,” her attorney, Ben Rottenborn, said in closing arguments. “The purpose of the article was to promote legislative measures designed to protect victims of domestic abuse. Designed to protect people who did exactly what Ms. Heard did — to speak out.”
“Think about every piece of evidence that you’ve heard over the last six weeks about the abuse, about the relationship. None of that is in the article. None of it. We all know that it would be a very different article if she had written about what she suffered.”
He further stated that the purpose of the decision was not to determine whether or not Heard made any errors.
“If he abused her one time, Amber wins,” Rottenborn said.
Source: Sipa Usa / Samuel Corum/Sipa USA via Reuter
Depp began striking her early in their relationship, according to Heard, and sexually abused her several times. Photos of bruises and red scars on her face were included in her evidence, as well as testimony from her friends, sister, and makeup artist, who stated they either witnessed Depp being physically abusive or were told about the attacks at the time.
Heard testified on May 5 about how she and Depp got into an argument during a 2015 trip to Australia, and Depp grew physically and sexually hostile toward her. Depp allegedly “whacked” her, flung bottles at her, and pierced her with a bottle, according to her.
“Johnny had the bottle inside of me and was shoving it inside of me over and over again,” Heard said.
Depp allegedly hit Heard for the first time after she laughed at one of his tattoos, according to Heard. Depp then slapped her and then smacked her again when she began laughing because she assumed he was joking. She said she lost her footing when he slapped her a third time.
“I’m all the sudden realizing that the worst thing has just happened to me that could possibly happen to you,” Heard said. “I realize — I wish so much that he would have said he was joking.”
However, throughout the weeks-long trial in Fairfax, Virginia, Depp’s lawyers used audiotapes and text messages to try to portray him as the domestic abuse victim. When Heard grew violent, Depp’s sister, closest friend, former colleagues, and a doctor testified that the actor would often hide from her.
Heard allegedly tossed a vodka bottle at Depp during a flight to Australia, cutting his finger. (Depp chopped his own finger, according to Heard’s attorney.) Lawyers also played Depp’s audiotapes, in which Heard admitted to throwing pots and pans at him. Heard stated she hit Depp but didn’t strike him in another recorded discussion.
“I did not punch you,” Heard says in the audio recording. “I did not fucking deck you.”
Depp’s followers, such as Sofia Cadena, 24, crowded outside the courthouse throughout the trial to show their support for the actor and his legal case.
“It’s the most I can do for Johnny,” she said.
Fans watching livestreams on their phones reacted to the verdicts as each new point was read with cries and shouts of “Team Johnny!” “Save Johnny!” and “Amber Turd.”
Caroline Ahlers, who attended the hearing with her two primary school-aged daughters, expressed her optimism at the conclusion “reigns in #MeToo a bit.”
“There are a lot of false victims running around,” she continued.
In 2009, the two actors met on the set of The Rum Diary and married in 2015. A year later, Heard filed for divorce and got a restraining order against Depp, alleging that he had abused her. Depp retaliated by accusing her of “alleging abuse” in order to “secure a premature financial resolution.”
They divorced in 2016, and in a joint statement, they stated that their relationship was “intensely passionate and at times volatile” but that “neither party has made false accusations for financial gain.”
“There was never any intent of physical or emotional harm,” the statement added.
Depp sued the UK tabloid the Sun for libel two years later when it dubbed him a “wife beater.” Heard testified in that court that Depp physically abused her 14 times. Depp lost the lawsuit in the end.
