Actor Johnny Depp has won a defamation case against his ex-wife Amber Heard, who he sued over claims of domestic abuse.
A Virginia jury has awarded $10 million in compensatory damages, plus $5 million in punitive damages to Johnny Depp.
The jury also found Heard was defamed by a lawyer for Depp who accused her of creating a detailed hoax that included roughing up their apartment to look worse for police. The jury awarded her $2 million in damages.
Depp, the 58-year-old star sued Heard in Fairfax County Circuit Court in Virginia for $50 million over a December 2018 op-ed she wrote in The Washington Post describing herself as “a public figure representing domestic abuse.” His lawyers say he was defamed by the article even though it never mentioned his name.
Heard countersued for $100 million, claiming Depp’s attorney defamed her by calling her abuse allegations a hoax.
Heard, a 36-year-old actress, countersued for $100 million, saying Depp smeared her when his lawyer called her accusations a “hoax.”
Depp has denied hitting Heard or any woman and said she was the one who turned violent in their relationship.
Johnny Depp was not physically present when the verdict was read out. Amber Heard was present in the courtroom.
Soon after the verdict was announced, Johnny Depp posted a statement on his Facebook account.
In a statement, Depp said that Heard’s false claims had “a seismic impact on my life and my career.”
“And six years later, the jury gave me my life back,” he said. “I am truly humbled.”
Depp said he was “overwhelmed by the outpouring of love and the colossal support and kindness from around the world,” and that the verdict left him “at peace.”
“From the very beginning, the goal of bringing this case was to reveal the truth, regardless of the outcome,” Depp said. “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.”
In a statement posted on Twitter, Heard said, “The disappointment I feel today is beyond words.”
“The disappointment I feel today is beyond words,” Heard wrote in her statement. “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.”
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