Amber Heard’s sister, Whitney Henriquez, is breaking her silence after the jury sided primarily with Johnny Depp in his defamation suit against his ex-wife.
Last Wednesday, a seven-person jury issued its verdict awarding Depp, 58, $ 10.35 million in damages, and found that Heard, 36, defamed her ex-husband in his 2018 Washington Post opinion piece on domestic abuse, in which he did. not the name.
Heard, meanwhile, received $ 2 million in his defamation suit. He plans to appeal the verdict, his lawyer revealed the next morning.
The actress’ younger sister, who testified on her behalf during the trial and was present in the courtroom when the verdict was read, showed support for the actress on Sunday on Instagram.
“I’m still with you, fagot. Yesterday, today, and tomorrow I’ll always be proud of you for defending yourself, for testifying both here in Virginia and in the United Kingdom, and for being the voice of so many who can’t. they go behind closed doors, “wrote Henriquez, 34.
“We knew this was going to be a tough battle and that the cards were stacked against us,” he continued. “But you stood up and spoke independently. I’m very honored to testify for you, and I would do it a million times because I know what I saw and because the truth is forever by your side.”
Henriquez concluded: “I am very sorry that it was not reflected in the decision made by this jury, but I will never give up on you or anyone who is by your side. Always by your side … #istandwithamberheard.”
Heard, who also has an older sister, made her own statement immediately after the verdict was revealed, calling the decision a “setback” for the women. “The disappointment I feel today is beyond words,” he wrote. “It hurts me that the mountain of evidence was still not enough to deal with my ex-husband’s disproportionate power, influence and dominance.”
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The story goes on
Whitney Heard, the sister of actor Amber Heard, sits with other Heard supporters in the front row of the room just before the jury announces that she believes Amber Heard defamed her ex-husband Johnny Depp while announcing split verdicts on in favor of her ex-husband. Johnny Depp and Heard
EVELYN HOCKSTEIN / POOL / AFP via Getty
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“I’m even more disappointed with what this verdict means to other women. It’s a setback,” she added. “It sets the clock back to a time when a woman who spoke and spoke out could be embarrassed and publicly humiliated. She rejects the idea that violence against women should be taken seriously.”
“I think Johnny’s lawyers managed to get the jury to overlook the key issue of free speech and ignore the conclusive evidence we won in the UK,” the Aquaman actress continued. “I’m sad to have lost this case. But I’m even sadder because he seems to have lost a right he thought he had as an American: to speak freely and openly.”
In the pre-trial witness stand, Henriquez testified and was questioned about a March 2015 incident when he claimed that Depp hit her and Heard on a staircase in her attic. She said her then-brother-in-law hit her on the back and proceeded to hit Heard “repeatedly.” Heard also testified about the incident, saying he punched Depp to defend his sister. He denied this version of events.
Henriquez said he got along well with Depp “at first” before witnessing the tumultuous relationship, living with them at one point. Depp, during his stay at the stand, recalled that he liked the “sweet boy” Henriquez when they met, but stated that he often had “the dirty end of the stick” and would be a “punching bag” for a Heard. “Whitney was trying to please her sister, trying to keep up, and she seemed to be being bullied every time,” he said of the sisters’ “up and down” relationship.
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Amber Heard
Cliff Owen / Consolidated News Pictures / Getty
Following the verdict, Depp, who was in the UK when the decision was announced, said in a statement that the jury “brought my life back”.
“Six years ago, my life, that of my children, the lives of those closest to me, and also the lives of people who for many, many years have supported me and believed in me, changed forever. All in the blink of an eye, “he said. “False, very serious and criminal accusations were made through the media, which triggered an endless rain of hate content, even though no charges were ever brought against me. I had already traveled the world two times in a nanosecond and had a seismic impact on my life and career. And six years later, the jury brought me back to life. “
“I’m really humble,” he continued. “My decision to follow this case, knowing very well the height of the legal obstacles I would face and the inevitable global spectacle in my life, was only taken after considerable reflection. From the outset, The goal of this case was to reveal the truth, regardless of the outcome. I got it. “
Depp said he was “overwhelmed by the outpouring of love and the colossal support and kindness from around the world.”
“I hope that my quest to tell the truth has helped others, men and women, who have found themselves in my situation, and that those who support them will never give up. I also hope that the position will be innocent again. until proven guilt, both within the courts and in the media, “the actor said. “I want to acknowledge the noble work of the judge, the jurors, the court staff and the sheriffs who have sacrificed their own time to get to this point, and my diligent and unwavering legal team who did an extraordinary job of 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. “