FAIRFAX, Virginia – A jury on Wednesday ruled in favor of Johnny Depp in his defamation suit against ex-wife Amber Heard, claiming his position that Heard made allegations that Depp abused her before and during his brief weddings.
The jury also spoke in favor of Heard, who said she was defamed by Depp’s attorney when she described her allegations of abuse as misleading.
Jurors found that Depp should receive $ 10.35 million in damages, while Heard should receive $ 2 million.
The verdicts put an end to a televised trial that Depp hoped would help restore his reputation, even though it turned out to be a show of a vicious marriage. cos. Throughout the trial, fans, overwhelmingly on Depp’s side, lined up overnight for the coveted seats in the room. Spectators who could not enter gathered in the street to cheer on Depp and make fun of Heard every time one of them showed up outside.
Depp sued Heard over defamation at Fairfax County Circuit Court for a December 2018 opinion piece he wrote in The Washington Post describing himself as “a public figure representing domestic abuse.” His lawyers said he was defamed for the article even though he never mentioned his name.
While the case was ostensibly about defamation, most of the testimony focused on whether Heard had been physically and sexually abused, as she claimed. Heard listed more than a dozen alleged assaults, including a fight in Australia, where Depp was filming a sequel to “Pirates of the Caribbean,” in which Depp lost the tip of his middle finger and Heard said he was sexually assaulted. with a bottle of liquor.
Depp said she never beat Heard and that she was the aggressor, although Heartd’s lawyers highlighted old text messages that Depp sent to apologize to Heard for his behavior, as well as profane texts that he sent a friend in which Depp said he wanted to kill Heard and desecrate his body.
In a way, the trial was a repeat of a lawsuit filed by Depp in the UK against a British tabloid after he was described as a “female hitter”. The judge in that case ruled in favor of the newspaper after finding that Heard was telling the truth in his descriptions of abuse.
In the case of Virginia, Depp had to prove not only that he never assaulted Heard, but that Heard’s article – which focused primarily on public policies related to domestic violence – defamed him. He also had to prove that Heard wrote the article with real malice. And to claim damages he had to prove that her article caused damage to her reputation as opposed to any number of articles before and after Heard’s article detailing the allegations against him.
Depp, in his final testimony before the jury, said the trial gave him a chance to erase his name in a way that the UK trial never allowed.
“Whatever happens, I came here and told the truth and I’ve been talking about what I’ve been reluctantly carrying on my back for six years.” said Depp.
Heard, on the other hand, said the trial was an ordeal inflicted by an orchestrated depopulation campaign led by Depp.
“Johnny promised me, he promised me, that he ruined my life, that he would ruin my career. He would take my life,” Heard said in his final testimony.
The case captivated millions of people through its television coverage of hammer to give and passionate followers on social media who dissected everything from the gestures of the actors to the possible symbolism of what they wore. Both performers come out of the trial with a reputation for pinching and with unclear prospects for their careers.
Eric Rose, an expert in crisis management and communications in Los Angeles, called the trial a “classic murder-suicide.”
“From a reputation management perspective, there can be no winners,” he said. “They’ve bled each other. Now it’s harder for studios to hire either actor because you’re potentially alienating a large segment of your audience who might not like the fact that you’ve hired Johnny or Amber for a specific project because feelings are so strong now. “
Depp, a three-time Oscar nominee for Best Actor, had been a profitable star until years ago. Her turn as Captain Jack Sparrow in the movie “Pirates of the Caribbean” helped turn it into a global franchise, but she has lost that role. (Heard and Depp’s teams blame each other.) He was also replaced as the main character in the third film based on “Fantastic Beasts,” “The Crimes of Grindelwald.”
Despite testimony at trial that he could be violent, abusive and out of control, Depp received a standing ovation Tuesday night in London after performing for about 40 minutes with Jeff Beck at the Royal Albert Hall. He has previously toured with Joe Perry and Alice Cooper as the Hollywood Vampires.
Heard’s acting career has been more modest, and her only two upcoming roles are in a small film and the upcoming sequel “Aquaman” to be released next year.
Depp’s lawyers fought to keep the case in Virginia, in part because state law provided some legal advantages compared to California, where they both reside. A judge ruled that Virginia was an acceptable forum for the case because the Washington Post’s printers and online servers are in the county.