For six weeks, the jury, comprising five men and two women, heard testimony from witnesses, including Depp and the Aquaman star, who painted two completely different pictures of their tumultuous relationship. Although this was a defamation case, the issue at the center of it all was whether Depp abused Heard at any point, even once, during their four years together. It seems the jury doesn’t believe he did.
Depp sued Heard for $50 million over a 2018 op-ed she wrote in the Washington Post describing herself as a survivor of abuse. Specifically, there were three parts of the article that the Pirates of the Caribbean star claimed to be defamatory and he won all of them:
Depp was awarded $15 million: $10 million in compensatory damages and $5 million punitive. However, punitive damages in Virginia are capped at $350K, so Depp is awarded $10.35M in total.
Heard countersued for $100 million claiming Depp’s attorney Adam Waldman, while acting on behalf of her ex-husband, made defamatory claims about her. Heard sued over three specific statements Waldman made to the press. She won on the second statement
Amber Heard ‘heartbroken’ by jury’s unanimous verdict
“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,” Heard said in a statement immediately after the verdict was delivered.
