Johnny Depp has won his multi-million dollar defamation lawsuit against his ex-wife Amber Heard.
Jurors in Fairfax, Virginia, delivered their verdict yesterday, ruling that the 2018 op-ed the Aquaman actress published in The Washington Post was libelous.
The seven-person jury unanimously found that Heard had no evidence to prove her accusations against Depp and had lied that her ex-husband had abused her during their relationship. Additionally, the jury members found that she had acted with actual malice in writing, publishing, and sharing the column.
The Pirates of the Caribbean actor sued his ex-wife for $50 million over the first-person article in which she described herself as a “public figure representing domestic abuse.”
Although Heard’s op-ep did not mention her ex-husband by name, Depp and his legal team claimed it was “defamation by implication.” They argued that some sections alluded to abuse charges she made against him after their controversial breakup in 2016.
The panel, which began deliberations on Friday, awarded Depp $10 million in compensatory damages and $5 million in punitive damages.
However, the jury found that the actor had defamed his ex-wife through his former attorney Adam Waldman in 2020 and awarded Heard $2 million in compensatory damages plus $0 in punitive damages.
Head had countersued Depp for $100 million, claiming she had only been violent towards her ex-husband in self-defense. Her counterclaim focused on Waldman’s statements to Mail Online, calling the actress’s accusations a “hoax.”
Depp did not appear in court on Wednesday to hear the jury’s decision. He was seen in a pub in Newcastle, England, after performing with rick legend Jeff Beck over the weekend.
But the actor shared a statement via social media shortly after the verdict was read, saying he was “really humbled” by the jury’s decision.
“From the very beginning, the goal of bringing this case was to reveal the truth, regardless of the outcome. Speaking the truth was something that I owed to my children and to all those who have remained steadfast in their support of me,” he wrote.
“I feel at peace knowing I have finally accomplished that,” he added. Depp also mentioned the “seismic impact” his ex-wife’s accusations had had on his life and career.
Heard also posted a statement on social media, saying he was sad she lost the 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,” she stated.
