A verdict has been rendered in the trial involving Hollywood actors Johnny Depp and Amber Heard. In the defamation trial, the ex-couples accused each other of abuse.
On Wednesday ( 12:53 Am Thursday IST) the jury found Amber Heard guilty of defamation and determined that Johnny Depp could establish he was defamed.
The jury awarded Amber Heard $10 million in compensatory damages and $5 million in punitive penalties. In Amber's countersuit against Johnny Depp, the jury also found him guilty on several counts of slander. The actor was ordered to pay $2 million in restitution.
According to Law and Crime Channel, the crowd assembled outside the courthouse celebrated every time a ruling in Johnny's favour was aired on the screen outside.
In a statement following the verdict, Johnny Depp stated that he was humbled and that the "jury gave me my life back." He said that he was now at peace. Amber Heard also issued a statement in response to the judgement, expressing her disappointment and heartbreak at the result. "I'm sad I lost this case," she said.
The trial of Johnny Depp's defamation lawsuit against his ex-wife, actress Amber Heard, started with an opinion article Amber has published in The Washington Post. Johnny sued his ex-wife Amber for $50 million, claiming that she defamed him in the newspaper opinion piece when she referred to herself as "a public figure representing domestic abuse." Amber countersued for $100 million, claiming he slandered her by labelling her a liar.
The six-week trial in Fairfax County Circuit Court devolved into a spat between Depp and Heard over the facts of what transpired in their 2016 divorce. Throughout their relationship, Heard and Depp each accused one other of physical violence.
In 2009, Johnny Depp and Amber Heard met on the set of The Rum Diary and began dating later. They tied the knot in 2015. Heard filed for divorce in 2016, alleging that Depp had physically abused her while under the influence of narcotics or alcohol during their marriage. Heard was "attempting to secure a premature financial resolution by alleging abuse," Depp said, denying the allegations. In 2017, their divorce was finalised.