A jury discovered that Amber Heard defamed Johnny Depp in an opinion piece claiming she was a sufferer of home abuse, a victory for the Hollywood actor after a number of weeks of sordid testimony as the previous spouses accused one another of destroying their careers.
Depp was awarded $15mn in damages for libel, whereas the jury additionally awarded Heard $2mn in damages from Depp as the results of her counter-lawsuit.
Depp, one of many world’s largest film stars, sued his former spouse for $50mn over a 2018 op-ed in The Washington Post throughout the top of the #MeToo motion. Heard filed a $100mn countersuit after Depp’s lawyer described her accusations as a “hoax”.
“The disappointment I feel today is beyond words”, Heard wrote on Twitter after the decision. “It sets back the clock to a time when a woman who spoke up . . . could be publicly shamed and humiliated.”
The trial was one of many largest movie star courtroom instances in latest reminiscence, turning right into a media circus that performed out on tv and social media platforms globally.
Outlets live-streamed from contained in the courtroom, whereas followers introduced flowers, pirate flags and even stay alpacas to the Fairfax courthouse to cheer on Depp.
It was additionally one of many first huge movie star trials to happen within the age of social media, the place customers reenacted items of testimony and created memes concerning the case. Fan help overwhelmingly favoured Depp, with the hashtag #JusticeForJohnnyDepp reaching some 10bn views on TikTok.
Depp beforehand misplaced a libel case on the High Court in London, during which he sued The Sun newspaper for labelling him a “wife beater” in 2020.
The case was heard in Fairfax, Virginia, the place The Washington Post homes its printing press. Heard didn’t identify Depp in her op-ed.
Heard instructed the seven-person jury that Depp assaulted her repeatedly throughout their relationship, offering pictures, recordings and movies to show her case. Her legal professionals learn out texts during which Depp stated he wished to “burn” Heard.
Depp denied the allegations of abuse, and stated that she was the one who struck him. Both have aired sordid particulars of their risky relationship, similar to a 2015 incident during which Depp accused Heard of throwing a vodka bottle at him that severed the highest of his center finger. Heard, nonetheless, stated that Depp was the one who assaulted her with the bottle.
Depp alleges that Disney dropped him from the sixth Pirates of the Caribbean movie after Heard’s op-ed.
Source: www.ft.com