Depp verdict: Actor wins defamation trial as Heard awarded one counterclaim
The jury in the defamation trial opposing Johnny Depp and Amber Heard reached a verdict on the third day of deliberations, handing a victory to Depp and a partial win to Heard.
Depp sued Heard for $50m for implying he abused her in a 2018 Washington Post op-ed. Although she didn’t name him, he claims her allegations impacted his ability to work. She pursued a $100m counterclaim.
The jury found that Heard defamed Depp on all three counts and awarded him $10m in compensatory damages and $5m in punitive damages. Heard was awarded $2m in compensatory damages, but no punitive damages.
In closing arguments, Depp’s lawyers asked jurors to “give him his life back” after it was “ruined” by Heard’s domestic abuse allegations. On Wednesday, the “humbled” actor thanked them for doing so and said a new chapter was now beginning for him after six years.
In their closing, Heard’s lawyers said ruling in favour of Depp would make jurors an “accomplice” to his abuse and to his “campaign of global humiliation”. In a statement, she expressed “disappointment beyond words” and said she was heartbroken, claiming that it was a “setback” for women.
Depp lawyer claims Heard defamation trial decision is win for ‘truth and justice’
Johnny Depp‘s lawyer has hailed the outcome of his defamation trial against Amber Heard a win for “truth and justice”.
Benjamin Chew was speaking outside a Virginia courthouse after the jury ruled a 2018 article published in The Washington Post by Ms Heard was defamatory.
Depp lawyer claims Heard defamation trial decision is win for ‘truth and justice’
Johnny Depp’s lawyer has hailed the outcome of his defamation trial against Amber Heard a win for “truth and justice”.Benjamin Chew was speaking outside a Virginia courthouse after the jury ruled a 2018 article published in The Washington Post by Ms Heard was defamatory.“We are most pleased that the trial has resonated for so many people in the public who value truth and justice,” Mr Chew said. “Now that the jury has reached its conclusive verdict, it’s time to turn the page and look to the future.”Click here to sign up for our newsletters.
Oliver O’Connell2 June 2022 04:00
Kate Moss attends Johnny Depp show with Jeff Beck at Royal Albert Hall
Oliver O’Connell2 June 2022 03:00
Amber Heard’s lawyer accuses Johnny Depp of ‘victim blaming at its most disgusting’
Amber Heard’s lawyers have accused Johnny Depp of “victim-blaming at its most disgusting” in closing arguments of the former couple’s defamation trial.
Speaking on behalf of Ms Heard, Benjamin J Rottenborn said: “You saw her on the stand testify with her own mouth exactly what she went through… They want to penalise Ms Heard for not speaking about that earlier?”
Amber Heard’s lawyer accuses Depp of ‘victim blaming at its most disgusting’
Amber Heard’s lawyers have accused Johnny Depp of “victim blaming at its most disgusting” in closing arguments of the former couple’s defamation trial.Mr Depp is suing Ms Heard for $50 million after she wrote an article in 2018 referring to herself as a “public figure representing domestic abuse.”Speaking on behalf of Ms Heard, Benjamin J Rottenborn said: “You saw her on the stand testify with her own mouth exactly what she went through…They want to penalise Ms Heard for not speaking about that earlier?”Click here to sign up to our newsletters.
Oliver O’Connell2 June 2022 02:15
Watch: Johnny Depp wins defamation trial against Amber Heard
Watch moment Johnny Depp wins defamation trial against Amber Heard
Oliver O’Connell2 June 2022 01:30
Dolph Lundgren shares view on Aquaman co-star as Depp v Heard trial verdict looms
The action movie star appeared opposite Amber Heard in the DC franchise, the first film of which was released in 2018. A sequel has been filmed and will be released in 2023.
Oliver O’Connell2 June 2022 00:45
A trial by TikTok and the death knell for MeToo
With both Johnny Depp and Amber Heard resting their cases in the multi-million-dollar defamation trial, it now comes down to the jury to decide the verdict.
In a case where both former spouses have leveled serious allegations of domestic violence against one other and where tens of millions of dollars are at stake, social media has increasingly hijacked proceedings.
The online obsession spurs a troubling question: Does the verdict really matter?
Oliver O’Connell2 June 2022 00:12
Johnny Depp fans petition to replace Amber Heard in ‘Aquaman’ with lawyer
The internet circus around the Depp-Heard trial shows no signs of slowing down after today’s verdict.
Fans of Johnny Depp have launched a Change.org petition to replace Amber Heard in an upcoming Aquaman sequel with Camille Vasquez, Mr Depp’s lawyer.
Here’s our piece on the strange fandom that’s developed around the attorney.
Maanya Sachdeva2 June 2022 00:03
Johnny Depp trial verdict: How much money in damages do actor and Amber Heard owe each other?
Johnny Depp has prevailed in his $50m (£40m) defamation lawsuit against his ex-wife Amber Heard over accusations of domestic abuse.
A seven-person civil jury in Virginia found that Ms Heard defamed the Pirates of the Caribbean and Fantastic Beasts star when she implied he abused her in a 2018 op-ed for The Washington Post.
The jury also upheld one of Ms Heard’s three claims in a $100m countersuit against Mr Depp and his lawyer, who had called her original allegations in 2016 an “ambush, a hoax”.
Neither side, however, got the full amount of damages they were seeking.
Io Dodds has the full story.
Josh Marcus1 June 2022 23:42
What did Amber Heard’s Washington Post op-ed actually say?
The current court case between Johnny Depp and Amber Heard centres around an opinion piece Heard wrote in 2018 for The Washington Post, titled: “I spoke up against sexual violence — and faced our culture’s wrath. That has to change.”
Mr Depp has sued Ms Heard, his ex-wife, for alleged defamation over the article. While Mr Depp was not named, he claims her allegations the piece made it difficult for him to land movie roles.
Oliver O’Connell1 June 2022 23:30
Don Jr celebrates Depp trial win as loss for ‘rabid’ MeToo feminism
Conservatives are celebrating Wednesday’s verdict in the highly publicised defamation lawsuit between actors Johnny Depp and Amber Heard, in which Mr Depp won $15m in damages.
“Believe all women… except Amber Heard,” wrote Donald Trump Jr, on social media.
The former president’s son said he hoped the defamation verdict against the “terrible” actress would “end the effective rabid feminist notion that all men are guilty before being proven innocent that we’ve seen as of late.”
Oliver O’Connell1 June 2022 23:20
