Amber Heard released a statement after a jury held her liable in Johnny Depp’s defamation lawsuit on Wednesday.
“The disappointment I feel today is beyond words,” the actress said. “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.”
Heard had accused her ex-husband of domestic abuse and physical violence, implying that Depp had abused her in a 2018 Washington Post article.
Heard is standing by her case, and described the verdict as an attack on domestic abuse victims.
“I’m even more disappointed with what this verdict means for other women,” her statement said. “It is a setback. It sets back the clock to a time when a woman who spoke up and spoke out could be publicly shamed and humiliated. It sets back the idea that violence against women is to be taken seriously.”
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She said that the ruling amounts to an attack on her First Amendment rights, claiming that Depp’s lawyers succeeded in convincing the jury to overlook her own freedom of speech.
Johnny Depp wins libel suit against ex-wife, jury awards him $15M in damages. Heard also awarded $2M in countersuit. Statement from Amber heard via @davidspunt pic.twitter.com/x1mDf2ipAE
— Jacqui Heinrich (@JacquiHeinrich) June 1, 2022
The case wasn’t a complete loss for Heard.
Is Heard the victim here?
She won one count of her countersuit against Depp, with the jury awarding her $2 million. Still, her legal damages pale in comparison to Depp’s, who won $15 million in total damages.
Heard was present in the courtroom for Wednesday’s ruling.
Depp wasn’t there, instead watching from the United Kingdom due to what he said was a previously scheduled work commitment.
Depp accused Heard herself of physical abuse in the trial, alleging that she severed one of his fingers with a broken liquor bottle and even claiming she had defecated in the couple’s bed.
In his own statement, Depp thanked his supporters, describing the trial’s conclusion as a vindication of his reputation after years of false allegations on the part of Heard.
Punitive damages are capped at $350,000 in Virginia, therefore limiting Depp’s total damages to $10.35 million.
The hefty damages may never be collected. In any event, the ruling is a de facto vindication of Depp’s reputation after years of negative-press legal battles.
Heard had previously won a libel lawsuit involving Depp in the United Kingdom, something she emphasized in her statement after the jury ruling in the Virginia lawsuit.
Both actors have claimed their careers were damaged by negative publicity stemming from their divorce.
They were married for just over two years.
It’s unclear whether Heard intends to appeal the verdict.
