Johnny Depp emerged victorious Wednesday in his defamation lawsuit against ex-wife Amber Heard, with the jury finding that she libeled him when she wrote an op-ed about being a victim of domestic abuse.
The seven-person civil jury ordered Heard to pay $15 million, although state cap on punitive damages means Depp will ultimately be awarded $10.35 million.”. But the jurors also ordered Depp to pay Heard $2 million for her counterclaim that she was defamed when Depp’s lawyer called her allegations a hoax.
Heard was stoic, her eyes down, as the judge read the verdict. Depp was not in Virginia on Wednesday; instead, he was in the UK to join guitarist Jeff Beck in concert. His legal team, though, hugged one another after the judge left the courtroom.
Heard released a statement on Twitter soon after the verdict, saying the disappointment she was feeling “is beyond words.”
“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,” she said. “I’m even more disappointed with what this verdict means for other women. It is a setback.”
