The headline-making Johnny Depp vs. Amber Heard defamation trial got here to a detailed on June 1. At 3 p.m. within the afternoon, the decision of the seven-person jury from Fairfax County, Virginia was learn aloud in courtroom.
Amber Heard was discovered responsible of defaming Johnny Depp within the Washington Submit op-ed titled, “Amber Heard: I spoke up in opposition to sexual violence — and confronted our tradition’s wrath. That has to vary.” The jury awarded Depp $15 million.
The jury additionally discovered that Heard had been defamed by considered one of Depp’s former attorneys, who informed the Every day Mail that her claims had been a hoax. She was awarded $2 million.
“The frustration I really feel in the present day is past phrases,” Heard mentioned in a press release, per The Hollywood Reporter. “I’m heartbroken that the mountain of proof nonetheless was not sufficient to face as much as the disproportionate energy, affect, and sway of my ex-husband.”
“I’m much more disillusioned with what this verdict means for different ladies,” she continued. “It’s a setback. It units again the clock to a time when a girl who spoke up and spoke out could possibly be publicly shamed and humiliated. It units again the concept that violence in opposition to ladies is to be taken critically.”
Depp was not current on the courthouse resulting from work commitments within the UK, Individuals reported.
Over the course of the trial, Heard accused Depp of assault and sexual violence, telling the jury that his alleged assaults had been usually the results of supposed alcohol-fueled rages. Depp additionally alleged abuse by the hands of Heard, pointing to an incident involving the actor that resulted within the lack of a part of his finger. To some, this was proof of a mutually abusive relationship, whereas others characterised Heard’s actions as “reactive violence,” which means that her self-defense escalated as Depp turned extra abusive.
The trial started on April 11, 2022. Each Depp and Heard testified together with dozens of witnesses and consultants, together with Depp’s ex, Kate Moss.
The pair, who had been married for simply over a yr, filed for divorce in Could 2016. On the time, Heard requested a restraining order on the grounds of home violence, and Vox reviews that Depp’s lawyer then launched a press release accusing Heard of mendacity to be able to get extra money of their upcoming divorce settlement. They finalized their divorce in August 2016, at which period Heard dropped the everlasting restraining order request.
Heard claims that her profession suffered as a result of divorce fallout. In 2018, she wrote an op-ed for the Washington Submit in regards to the penalties she confronted after talking up about sexual violence, and whereas she didn’t identify Depp particularly, the implication was clear, and a choose agreed that the op-ed constituted an accusation of abuse.
That is the place the lawsuits begin. In 2018, Depp sued UK tabloid The Solar for calling him a “wife-beater” in print. On the London trial in 2020, The Solar was tasked with proving that its assertion was right, and known as on Heard to supply 14 situations of assault. The choose dominated that 12 of those situations met the factors for proof, and dominated within the paper’s favor. Shortly thereafter, Depp resigned from the Incredible Beasts franchise.
Supply: Glamour
