Johnny Depp proved all aspects of defamation against Amber Heard after three days of discussion. Damages of $15 million were awarded by the jury.
Heard was given $2 million in compensatory damages after winning one of Depp’s counterclaims.
In February 2019, Depp filed a $50 million lawsuit against Heard, alleging that a 2018 opinion article authored by Heard harmed his career and that she was the one who assaulted him. In the piece, Heard declared that she was now a “professional actress.” Without identifying Depp, “a public figure representing domestic abuse.”
In August 2020, Heard counter-sued Depp for $100 million. Depp, he claimed, orchestrated an online smear campaign against her in order to have her fired from modeling and acting roles.
As per Deadline, the televised trial, which started in April, featured lurid testimony from dozens of people close to the ex-couple, as well as private correspondence, audio recordings, and images.
From 2015 through 2017, Depp and Heard were married. From 2015 through 2017, Heard and Depp were married. Heard requested a divorce. In 2016, Depp was given a temporary restraining order.
“During the entirety of our relationship, Johnny has been verbally and physically abusive to me,” She made the allegations in her complaint. “He has a short fuse.”
The Washington Post reported, that a divorce settlement was reached and Heard dropped the restraining order. They also released a joint statement: “Our relationship was intensely passionate and periodically volatile, but always bound by love. Neither party has made false accusations for financial gain. There was never any intent of physical or emotional harm.”
On May 27, after both sides’ final arguments, the jury was given the task of determining whether defamation with actual intent occurred. To achieve this requirement, Heard had to either know or act on the fact that what she wrote was untrue “reckless disregard for the truth,” according to the Associated Press.
