Johnny Depp won a character assassination fit Wednesday versus his previous partner Amber Heard after a jury discovered that she had actually libelled Depp in stating that he had actually abused her throughout their relationship.
Depp, who was not in court Wednesday due to a formerly set up work dedication, demanded $50 million in damages over a 2018 opinion-editorial essay by Heard in The Washington Post, in which she stated she had actually ended up being a “public figure representing domestic abuse.” Although the essay never ever discussed Depp by name, his lawyers stated it indirectly described accusations she made versus him throughout their 2016 divorce.
The jury all discovered that Heard might not corroborate her accusations versus Depp which she understood her claims of abuse were incorrect when she released her 2018 essay.
The jury figured out that Heard showed real malice when composing her op-ed. The jury granted Depp $10 million in countervailing damages and $5 million in compensatory damages in his libel fit.
Fairfax County Circuit Court Judge Penney Azcarate decreased the compensatory damages the jury granted to Depp to $350,000, which is the state’s statutory cap or legal limitation, making his overall damages $104 million.
“From the very beginning, the goal of bringing this case was to reveal the truth, regardless of the outcome,” Depp stated in a declarationWednesday “Speaking the truth was something that I owed to my children and to all those who have remained steadfast in their support of me. I feel at peace knowing I have finally accomplished that.”
Depp stated that “the jury gave me my life back. I am truly humbled.”
Actor Johnny Depp gestures to viewers in court after closing arguments throughout his libel case versus ex-wife Amber Heard, in the courtroom at the Fairfax County Circuit Courthouse in Fairfax, Virginia, May 27, 2022.
Steve Helber|Pool|Reuters
Heard had actually countersued for $100 million and stated she was just ever violent with Depp in self-defense or defense of her more youthful sibling. Heard’s countersuit focused around 3 declarations made by Depp’s previous lawyer Adam Waldman in 2020 to the Daily Mail, in which he explained Heard’s accusations of abuse as a “hoax.”
The jury discovered that Depp, through Waldman, libelled Heard on one count. The jury granted Heard $2 million in countervailing damages however $0 in compensatory damages.
The panel, which started considerations Friday, concerned its choice after roughly 13 hours throughout 3 days. The prominent trial, which happened over about 6 weeks in Fairfax County, Virginia, was relayed throughout the nation and drew various headings.
Defamation declares submitted in the U.S. by public figures, such as a star, are typically considered tough cases to win due to the greater requirement a complainant should show.
The Supreme Court ruled in 1964 that libel fits brought by noteworthy figures should not just show the claims were incorrect and triggered them damage, however that the individual who made the defamatory declaration did so with “actual malice.”
In a declaration Wednesday, Heard stated: “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,” she stated. “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.”
The jury’s choice marks a legal redemption for Depp, who lost a libel case in the United Kingdom 2 years earlier over accusations that he struck Heard.
Depp took legal action against the moms and dad business that owns The Sun and the paper’s managing editor for calling him a “wife beater” in2018 Justice Andrew Nicol ruled versus Depp in 2020, stating the British tabloid had actually provided significant proof to reveal that Depp was violent versus Heard on a minimum of 12 of 14 celebrations.
In her declaration Wednesday, Heard stated she thinks Depp’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.”
Actor Amber Heard shows up for closing arguments in the Depp v. Heard trial at the Fairfax County Circuit Courthouse in Fairfax, Virginia, on May 27, 2022.
Steve Helber|AFP|Getty Images
“I’m sad I lost this case,” she stated. “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.”
During the trial, Depp affirmed that he lost “nothing less than everything” after Heard’s essay was released which the accusations have actually managed his “every waking second.”
“What did it do to me? What effect did it have on me? I’ll put it to you this way: No matter the outcome of this trial, the second the allegations were made against me … once that happened, I lost then,” he stated.
Heard at first declared in 2016 when she applied for a protective order that Depp bruised her after he tossed a phone at her. She composed in a sworn statement to the court that she was living “in worry that Johnny will go back to [our house] unannounced to terrify me, physically and mentally.”
Depp rejected the event, stating he went to the couple’s penthouse the day after his mom passed away to talk to Heard about his desire to declare divorce. In that discussion, Depp and Heard argued, and he tossed her cellular phone on the sofa after he heard her laughing about him to a good friend, according to his testament.
“It was a tough couple of days, and I really didn’t feel like I deserved that kind of treatment,” Depp stated.
During the trial, Depp’s legal group contacted us to the witness stand 2 policemans who reacted to the scene in2016 The officers stated they did not observe physical injury to Heard, noting her face appeared red with feeling, which she was uncooperative.
Heard informed the court she did not call 911 throughout the 2016 argument and selected not to work together with cops due to the fact that she feared they may apprehend Depp, whom she was attempting to safeguard.
Depp’s legal group implicated Heard of fabricating injuries and doctoring images of herself with swellings in a yearslong effort to get a monetary benefit in a divorce. Heard rejected ever staging or doctoring images in her abuse accusations.
Depp’s lawyers implicated Heard of being the abuser in the relationship while cross-examining her and stated that she lied about ever fearing him.
Heard has actually rejected abusing Depp, stating she just ever struck him in defense of herself or her sibling after Depp had actually started a violent attack.
Depp and Heard each took the stand, providing their point of views on the course of their approximately five-year relationship and the unpredictable arguments they shared. Their statements were comparable in some methods– both explaining an instantaneous infatuation that developed into a roller rollercoaster love– however varied regarding the source of the acrimonious end.
In his testament, Depp informed the court he at first thought Heard to be the perfect partner for him, stating how the 2 bonded over a love of literature and unknown music. But about a year approximately into the relationship, Depp stated Heard ended up being unpredictable and initiated arguments over little matters.
He implicated her of having a “need for conflict.” Depp stated Heard would in some cases “strike out,” whether it was a slap or a push or tossing something at him.
“It’s hard to explain, but the argument would start here, but it would roll around and become this circular thing of its own,” Depp stated. “You’d get back to the beginning. … Now it’s heightened even more and it’s still circular. There’s no way in or out.”
Heard differed with Depp’s intake of alcohol and drugs throughout their relationship, he stated, though she never ever suppressed her own compound usage around him. He rejected ever running out control while under the impact or having a dependency to alcohol.
While under interrogation, Heard stated she just took in illegal compounds in Depp’s existence early two times in their relationship.
“I did a lot of changing to support his sobriety. I tried everything that I could possibly think of,” Heard stated.
During his testament, Depp stated Heard would select battles with him and intensify them up until physical violence taken place.
Heard stated that she would reveal issue over Depp’s alcohol and drug abuse, which would intensify into arguments. She likewise affirmed that the couple had actually discussed how to approach arguments in couple’s treatment.
Depp lived in Australia for a part of 2015 in order to movie the 5th installation of Disney’s “Pirates of the Caribbean” franchise. He affirmed that Heard flew out to stick with him in March 2015 after she covered recording on a film in London which the couple had a battle relating to a postnuptial contract.
He informed the court that Heard followed him around numerous spaces in the leased Australia house as he tried to get away the argument, up until he started consuming in the bar location of the home. Heard ultimately sought him out, continuing the argument, and tossed 2 vodka bottles at him, he stated.
Depp affirmed that damaged glass from among the 2 bottles severed the pointer of his finger, leading to surgical treatment and a hold-up in recording.
Heard rejected the claims, affirming rather that Depp remained in the middle of a multiday binge of alcohol and drugs. She affirmed that he had a fit of rage and attacked her throughout that time, along with trashing the house. Heard stated she thought Depp might have severed his finger while smashing a phone that was installed on the wall.
Depp confessed to triggering damage at the house after the couple’s arguments, affirming that he had a “kind of nervous breakdown” after his finger was severed, however he rejected Heard’s account of what took place.
Ben King, who worked for Depp as an estate supervisor and was highlighted by Depp to Australia, affirmed that he never ever saw a phone smashed following the couple’s argument. He likewise stated he did not observe anything uncommon in Heard’s physical look, besides red eyes from sobbing.
Depp’s legal group sent various audio recordings of the couple’s arguments into proof, one file of that included Heard relatively confessing to having “hit” Depp while at the same time rejecting that she punched him.
Heard affirmed that the hit happened when she was safeguarding herself versus Depp which the audio was tape-recorded in a spoken argument about the matter later on.
“I accused him of being a baby for complaining about me hitting him when he was trying to get through the door. I was trying to barricade,” Heard stated.
Depp’s lawyers called a variety of witnesses, consisting of Heard’s previous assistant, Depp’s security group, Depp’s sibling, a therapist who carried out couple’s treatment throughout their marital relationship, and a forensic psychologist employed by Depp’s legal group.
Heard’s previous assistant explained her as “belligerent” and “abusive” throughout their working relationship. The forensic psychologist employed by Depp’s legal group affirmed that she detected Heard with both borderline character condition and histrionic character condition, which was later on contested by Heard’s own forensic psychologist.
Depp’s security group affirmed that they never ever saw Depp attack Heard however testified that the couple’s relationship ended up being unpredictable which both celebrations gushed “verbal vitriol” at each other.
Heard’s defense called numerous witnesses to affirm to seeing swellings on her throughout the time she was with Depp, consisting of 2 pals who she was close with at the time, Raquel Pennington and iO TilletWright She likewise had a forensic psychologist affirm disagreeing with the character condition medical diagnoses, informing the court rather that Heard had trauma.
In his declaration Wednesday, Depp stated he is “overwhelmed by the outpouring of love and the colossal support and kindness from around the world.”
“I hope that my quest to have the truth be told will have helped others, men or women, who have found themselves in my situation, and that those supporting them never give up,” he stated. “I also hope that the position will now return to innocent until proven guilty, both within the courts and in the media.”
