Mumbai Hollywood’s two big stars Johnny Depp and Amber Heard have been in the headlines for their personal life for a long time. Both had sued each other for defamation. Amber described herself in the case as “a public figure representing domestic abuse”. Now the court has given its decision in favor of Johnny Depp wins the case.
Depp sued the “Aquaman” actress for $50 million, while Heard sued the “Pirates of the Caribbean” star for $100 million. Now in this case the jury has unanimously ruled in favor of Depp. The jury found that Heard had defamed Depp (Johnny Depp VS Amber Heard) and that his op-ed published in the newspaper was malicious because he was a victim of domestic violence. The court ordered Depp to be awarded total compensation of $15 million ($10 million in compensatory damages and $5 million in punitive damages).
The jury also ordered that Amber should receive $2 million because she was also defamed by Depp’s lawyer by calling her allegations of abuse a hoax. The trial, which was broadcast live on TV, ended on Wednesday.
Depp celebrated the verdict as a victory, saying the jury “gave me my life back.” A five-man, two-woman jury, after deliberating for three days, found that Heard had defamed Depp in an op-ed. Amber Heard responded after the decision was read out in Fairfax County Circuit Court in Virginia, saying, “I am even more disappointed at what this decision means to other women”. “It’s a setback. It leaves behind the idea that violence against women should be taken seriously.”
Johnny Depp and Amber Heard were in a marriage relationship from 2015 to 2017. But in May 2016, both of them filed a case accusing each other of domestic violence. Both sides claimed damage to their Hollywood careers.
first published:June 2, 2022, 9:02 am