Johnny C. Depp wins libel lawsuit against ex-wife Amber L. Heard
The jury also found in favor of Heard, who said she was defamed by Depp’s lawyer when he called her abuse allegations a hoax.
Jury members found Depp should be awarded $10.35 million in damages, while Heard should receive $2 million.
The verdicts bring an end to a televised trial that Depp had hoped would help restore his reputation, though it turned into a spectacle of a vicious marriage. Fans — overwhelmingly on Depp’s side — lined up overnight to grab a seat in the courtroom. Spectators who couldn’t get in lined up on the street to cheer Depp and jeer Heard whenever either appeared outside.
Depp sued Heard for libel in Fairfax County Circuit Court over a December 2018 op-ed she wrote in The Washington Post describing herself as “a public figure representing domestic abuse.” His lawyers said he was defamed by the article even though it never mentioned his name.
Trial gave chance to clear name- Depp
According to the Associated Press, in some ways, the trial was a replay of a lawsuit Depp filed in the United Kingdom against a British tabloid after he was described as a “wife beater.” The judge in that case ruled in the newspaper’s favour after finding that Heard was telling the truth in her descriptions of abuse.
In the Virginia case, Depp had to prove not only that he never assaulted Heard, but that Heard’s article — which focused primarily on public policy related to domestic violence — defamed him. He also had to prove that Heard wrote the article with actual malice. And to claim damages he had to prove that her article caused the damage to his reputation as opposed to any number of articles before and after Heard’s piece that detailed the allegations against him.
Depp, in his final testimony to the jury, said the trial gave him a chance to clear his name in a way that he the U.K trial never allowed.
“No matter what happens, I did get here and I did tell the truth and I have spoken up for what I’ve been carrying on my back, reluctantly, for six years,” Depp said.
Heard, on the other hand, said the trial has been an ordeal inflicted by an orchestrated smear campaign led by Depp.
According to the Associated Press, the case captivated millions through its gavel-to-gave television coverage and impassioned followers on social media who dissected everything from the actors’ mannerisms to the possible symbolism of what they were wearing. Both performers emerge from the trial with reputations in tatters with unclear prospects for their careers.
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27 Responses to “Johnny C. Depp wins libel lawsuit against ex-wife Amber L. Heard”
OK, maybe you didn't; I did. And a lot of folk here.
Go drink water with that cause a lot of yall ain't know it was there…Solomon ain't called wise for stupid reasons… Adam could have said no.. He knew what he wasn’t suppose to do..But then instead of apologizing right away he blamed her And that’s why you never see Eve getting blamed after but always Adam… I know she ain’t put no whip to his back. Just like how some men are these days always blaming women for their nonsense when they themselves not worthy!… And some of you are just as deceptive lol don’t act like you men aren’t…Everybody sure ain’t the same … So when you talk say some okay?.. Bye.