Actress Amber Heard defamed her ex-husband Johnny Depp by describing herself as a victim of domestic violence, the popular jury of an American court concluded on Wednesday (June 1st) after a high-profile trial that offered a dive into the intimacy of the two Hollywood stars.
The seven jurors answered in the affirmative to the question of whether the title and two passages of a tribune, published in 2018 by Amber Heard, contained defamatory remarks with regard to Johnny Depp, according to the reading of their decision .
The jury awarded the actor $15 million in damages.
In contrast, the seven jurors ruled that Johnny Depp's lawyer, Adam Waldman, made defamatory remarks when he called Amber Heard's sexual abuse allegations a "set-up" in the Daily Mail newspaper in 2020. They have awarded two million dollars in damages to the actress.
"Devastated", Amber Heard confided her "inexpressible disappointment" after the verdict.
"The jury brought me back to life," said Johnny Depp.
Johnny Depp absent for the verdict
Johnny Depp sued his ex-wife for a column published by the Washington Post in 2018, in which she said she was "a public figure representing domestic violence".
Although he is not named, Johnny Depp believed that this platform destroyed his career and his reputation, and claimed 50 million dollars in damages.
Johnny Depp was absent for the verdict "due to professional commitments made before the trial", according to the ABC television channel, citing sources close to the actor.
After the hearings ended on Friday, he flew to the UK, where he took part in several concerts by British singer Jeff Beck in Sheffield and London.
With AFP and Reuters
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