Johnny Depp has won his multimillion-dollar US lawsuit against former wife Amber Heard after a Virginia jury ruled a 2018 article published in The Washington Post was defamatory.
He was awarded $15m by the court – comprising $10m compensatory damages and a further $5m in punitive damages – but the judge capped the punitive damages total in accordance with legal limits, resulting in a total of $10.35 million.
Depp said he was “truly humbled” by the jury’s verdict, saying the allegations had had a “seismic impact” on his life and career.
“From the very beginning, the goal of bringing this case was to reveal the truth, regardless of the outcome”, he 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.”
Heard, who appeared downcast in court as the verdict was read out, said she was “heartbroken” at the conclusion.
She claimed it “sets back the clock to a time when a woman who spoke up and spoke out could be publicly shamed and humiliated”.
She added: “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.”
Depp was not in court to hear the jury’s decision and was instead spotted at a pub in Newcastle, following a series of appearances on tour with rock legend Jeff Beck this week.
Depp had sued Heard for $50m (£38.2m) over a first-person article published in The Washington Post in December 2018, in which she referred to herself as “a public figure representing domestic abuse”.
Heard’s column did not mention Depp by name, but he argued it was an example of “defamation by implication” because parts of the column referred to allegations of abuse she made against him following their break-up in 2016.
Heard had issued a counterclaim for $100m (£76.4m) over statements calling her allegations a “hoax” made by her ex-husband’s attorney which were published in Mail Online stories in 2020.
US litigation lawyer Ryan Baker told Sky News that he was not surprised that Depp won overall as his lawyers did a “tremendous job” at undermining Heard’s credibility “time and time again”.
He also said he is not surprised that the jury found for Depp and Heard to some extent, because there were compelling stories on both sides.
However, Mr Baker said Depp has “exonerated himself” overall as the case centred on the Heard article in the Washington Post, which was found to be defamatory and malicious.
He added that it’s “hard to imagine” that none of jury weren’t influenced to some extent by the massive public support for Depp compared with Heard – as well as the celebrity kudos the actor has.
