Amber Heard made several detailed and graphic statements about domestic violence in her testimony. Credit: AP
Second count against Heard
The jury considered the third paragraph of the opinion: “Then, two years ago, I became a public figure representing domestic abuse and I felt the full force of our culture’s anger at the women who spoke. “.
Depp’s lawyers said he was clearly referring to Depp, as Heard publicly accused him of domestic violence in 2016.
Heard’s lawyers said a wealth of evidence showed that Heard was abused many times and that only a proven instance of abuse would make the line not defamatory. They also argued that the statement was objectively true because it did not focus on Depp, but on Heard’s speaking experience.
Jurors disagreed and found the statement defamatory.
Third count against Heard
In a second passage of the opinion, Heard wrote: “I had the very rare point of view to see, in real time, how institutions protect men accused of abuse.”
Depp’s lawyers reiterated that he was clearly referring to Depp.
And, as with the other two charges, the jurors found that Heard had defamed Depp with “real malice”: there was clear and convincing evidence that Heard knew he was false or acted without regard to the truth.
Johnny Depp has denied ever hitting Amber Heard and now the defamation suit. Credit: AFP
First count against Depp
Heard filed three defamation charges against Depp, saying she had been repeatedly slandered by her former attorney Adam Waldman, who described Heart’s allegations of abuse as misleading. Heard said the comments hurt his career.
Jurors considered a statement by Waldman that appeared on The Daily Mail’s website on April 8, 2020: “Amber Heard and her friends in the media use false allegations of sexual violence such as a sword and a shield in “They have selected some of their sexual acts of deception of sexual violence such as the sword, inflicting them on the public and on Mr. Depp.”
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Jurors concluded that Heard’s attorneys had not proved all the elements of the defamation.
Second count against Depp
Heard got his only win over a statement Waldman made to the Daily Mail. He accused Heard and his friends of making allegations of abuse after a 2016 fight in the couple’s Hollywood attic that caused Heard to call police.
The statement said: “It was simply an ambush, a hoax. They put Mr Depp on the police, but the first attempt did not work. leaving after seeing no damage to her face or property, so Amber and her friends spilled some wine and damaged the place, getting their stories straight under the direction of a lawyer and a publicist. and then they called 911 a second time. “
Dan Kim is in support of Amber Heard as supporters of actor Johnny Depp in front of the Fairfax County Courthouse. Credit: AP
Two officers said they saw no evidence of Heard being injured, although he appeared in public with a mark on his face a few days later requesting a temporary restraining order.
Jurors agreed with Heard’s attorneys that Waldman’s statement was false and defamatory and that he had acted with real malice.
Third count against Depp
The final count against Waldman involved a statement from the same article: “We have reached the beginning of the end of Mrs. Heard’s abuse deception against Johnny Depp.”
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Jurors concluded that Heard’s attorneys had failed to prove the statement defamatory.
AP