Amber Heard and Johnny Depp were found responsible for defamation in their lawsuits against each other on Wednesday, with a jury awarding damages to both of them.
Depp sued Heard, his ex-wife, for defamation over a 2018 opinion piece he wrote for The Washington Post in which he described himself as a “public figure representing domestic abuse.”
Although Depp was not named in the article, he claims it cost him lucrative acting roles. Heard sued her ex-husband for defamation of Depp’s attorney’s statements about his abuse claims.
Johnny Depp and Amber Heard endured a grueling six-week trial. (AP)
The jury began deliberating on May 27 after hearing more than 100 hours of eyewitness testimony.
The jury found that Heard defamed Depp in three separate statements in the Washington Post piece, and that Depp defamed Heard with a statement made by his attorney.
The jury awarded $ 15 million ($ 20.88 million) to Depp, which consists of $ 10 million ($ 13.94 million) for compensatory damages and $ 5 million ($ 6.97 million). for punitive damages.
Amber Heard hugs attorney Elaine Bredehoft after the verdict was read in Fairfax County Circuit Court in Fairfax, Virginia. (AP)
However, Virginia state law limits punitive damages to $ 350,000 ($ 487,795), which means that Depp eventually received a total of $ 10.35 million ($ 14.42 million).
The jury also found that $ 2 million ($ 2.78 million) should be paid to Heard as a result of multiple rulings against each of them.
Depp sued for $ 50 million in damages and Heard sued for $ 100 million.
Below you can read his full reactions to the verdict.
Johnny Depp greets his fans as he leaves court after winning the case. (AP)
“Six years ago, my life, the lives 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.
“Everything in the blink of an eye.
“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.
“My decision to pursue 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 very beginning, the goal of this case was to reveal the truth, regardless of the outcome. Telling the truth was something I owed to my children and all those who have stood firm in my support. Peace be upon you. that I finally got it.
“I am, and have been, overwhelmed by the outpouring of love and the colossal support and kindness around the world. I hope my quest to tell the truth has helped others, men and women, who have found in my situation, and that those who support them never give up. I also hope that now the charge will be innocent again until guilt is proven, both in the courts and in the media.
“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.
“The disappointment I feel today is beyond words. My heart is broken because the mountain of evidence was still not enough to deal with my ex-husband’s disproportionate power, influence and dominance.
“I’m even more disappointed with what this verdict means to other women. It’s a setback. Put the clock back on a time when a woman who spoke and spoke out could be embarrassed and publicly humiliated. She returns the idea. violence against women must be taken seriously.
“I think Johnny’s lawyers managed to get the jury to ignore the key issue of free speech and ignore the conclusive evidence we won in the UK.
“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.”
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