Johnny Depp Wins Defamation Case Against Ex-Wife Amber Heard, Awarded $15 Million
After a very long and very public trial between Johnny Depp and ex-wife Amber Heard, the jury has reached a decision ...
The 7 person jury deliberated and unanimously awarded Johnny Depp $15 million in damages. The jury began deliberations Friday May 27, and took 12 hours over the course of 3 days to come to a decision.
Depp was awarded $10 million in compensatory damages and $5 million in punitive damages. The jury also awarded Heard $2 million in compensatory damages.
Depp sued Heard for $50 million after she wrote an op-ed for The Washington Post in 2018 in which she called herself a "public figure representing domestic abuse." Heard countersued Depp for $100 million.
During the trial, Heard testified that Depp physically and sexually assaulted her multiple times.
RELATED: What will become of Johnny Depp and Amber Heard? ...
What Did Johnny Depp And Amber Heard Say About The Verdict?
Both parties have since released statements.
“False, very serious and criminal allegations were levied at me via the media, which triggered an endless barrage of hateful content, although no charges were ever brought against me,” Depp said in a statement. “It had already traveled around the world twice within a nanosecond and it had a seismic impact on my life and my career…And six years later, the jury gave me my life back. I am truly humbled.”
Heard said: “The disappointment I feel today is 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. I’m even more disappointed with what this verdict means for other women. It is a setback. It sets back the clock to a time when a woman who spoke up and spoke out could be publicly shamed and humiliated. It sets back the idea that violence against women is to be taken seriously. I believe Johnny’s attorneys succeeded in getting the jury to overlook the key issue of Freedom of Speech and ignore evidence that was so conclusive that we won in the UK. I’m sad I lost this case. But I am sadder still that I seem to have lost a right I thought I had as an American – to speak freely and openly.”
Photo Credit - CBC News
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