Johnny Depp vs. Amber Heard: Jury Reaches a Verdict

The jury has reached a verdict in Johnny Depp and Amber Heard’s defamation case.

The jury found in favor of Depp, agreeing that it was defamation when Heard called him an abuser in a 2018 op-ed piece about domestic abuse survivors. He was awarded $10 million in compensatory damages and $5 million in punitive damages. The judge immediately reduced the $5 million figure to $350,000, in line with a Virginia statutory cap.

Amber also had a partial win in her countersuit, as the jury awarded her $2 million in compensatory damages.

After the verdict, Depp released a statement, saying, “Six years ago, my life, the life of my children, the lives of those closest to me, and also, the lives of the people who for many, many years have supported and believed in me, were forever changed. All in the blink of an eye."

He added, “False, very serious and criminal allegations were levied at me via the media, which triggered an endless barrage of hateful content, although no charges were ever brought against me. It had already traveled around the world twice within a nanosecond and it had a seismic impact on my life and my career.

Depp went on, “And six years later, the jury gave me my life back. I am truly humbled.”

Heard also spoke out, stating, “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."

She continued, "I’m even more disappointed with what this verdict means for other women. 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."

Heard went on, "I believe Johnny’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 U.K.... I’m sad I lost this 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.”

Johnny's attorney Camille Vasquez addressed the media outside the courthouse on Wednesday. She said, "Today’s verdict confirms what we have said from the beginning, that the claims against Johnny Depp were defamatory and unsupported by any evidence. We are grateful, so grateful to the jury for their careful deliberation to the judge and the court staff who have devoted an enormous amount of time and resources toward this case."

Depp was suing Heard for defamation and $50 million. She was countersuing him for $100 million.

Amber was in the courtroom, but Depp was not present as the verdict was read. A source close to Johnny told “Extra” he would not be attending due to “previously scheduled work commitments made before the trial,” but would be "watching from the United Kingdom.”

Those work commitments may have included performing alongside Jeff Beck. Depp has joined the rocker for multiple shows in the U.K. in recent days.

Johnny was actually spotted in the UK on Wednesday at the Bridge Tavern in Newcastle. He looked to be all smiles in the photo obtained by TMX.

The verdict comes after weeks of testimony as the exes have battled it out in court, each accusing the other of abuse.

On Friday, Johnny and Amber’s lawyers delivered closing arguments.

Johnny’s attorney Camille Vasquez addressed the jury first, telling them, in part, “What is at stake in this trial is a man’s good name, even more than that is what is at stake in this trial is a man’s life. A life that he lost when he was accused of a heinous crime and the life he could live when he is finally vindicated.”

Vasquez picked apart Heard’s case, calling her a “deeply troubled person,” and at one point stated, “The evidence presented at this trial has shown that Ms. Heard is in fact the abuser and Mr. Depp the abused.”

Benjamin Chew, another attorney for Depp, also spoke. He told the jury, “While Mr. Depp’s name will be forever tarnished by these horrendous and false allegations, this case is about telling you his story and the truth about what really happened, which you’ve now heard. It is about restoring his lost reputation.”

He added, “It’s about showing Mr. Depp’s children, Lily Rose and Jack, that the truth is worth fighting for. It is. And it’s about restoring Mr. Depp’s name and standing in the community to the fullest extent that you can.”

Heard’s lawyer Ben Rottenborn also addressed the jury, warning of the message this trial could send to victims of domestic violence.

“Think about the message they are sending to Amber, and victims of domestic abuse everywhere,” Rottenborn said. “If you didn’t take pictures, it didn’t happen, and if you did take pictures, they’re fake… If you don’t seek medical attention, you’re lying. If you do seek medical attention, you’re crazy… And if you’ve finally decided that enough is enough, you’re a gold-digger."

He insisted, “That’s what they’re trying to get you, the jury, to be an accomplice to.”

Bringing up the 2018 op-ed, which appeared in The Washington Post, Rottenborn said, “You can weigh this case… by determining that those statements are true and protected by the First Amendment. If Amber was abused just one time, then she wins. And we’re not just talking about physical abuse. We’re talking about emotional abuse. We’re talking about verbal abuse.”

Elaine Bredehoft, another attorney for Heard, also spoke, saying Depp "blamed everybody in the world: his agent, his manager, his lawyer, Amber, his friends. But he's never accepted responsibility for anything in his life. But we're asking you to make him accept responsibility."

Vasquez addressed the jury again during a rebuttal, saying, ”The evidence overwhelmingly shows that Ms. heard is an abuser and that she is a liar,. She lied about Mr. Depp and took on the role of a lifetime as a public figure representing abuse."

She insisted Amber "does not deserve" that role.