Moments after a jury in Fairfax, Virginia awarded Johnny Depp $15 million in his defamation lawsuit against ex-wife Amber Heard, the “Aquaman” actress issued a statement saying she was “heartbroken” by the decision.
“The disappointment I feel today 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,” Heard said in a statement.
She then described the jury’s decision as a loss for all women who have been victims of domestic violence.
“I’m even more disappointed with what this verdict means for other women. 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,” she added. “I believe Johnny’s attorneys succeeded in getting the jury to overlook the key issue of Freedom of Speech and ignore evidence that was so conclusive that we won in the U.K. I’m sad I lost this case. But I am sadder still that I seem to have lost a right I thought I had as an American – to speak freely and openly.”
Depp sued Heard for $50 million, saying her 2018 Washington Post op-ed defamed him. She counter-sued for $100 million.
The jury said the two actors defamed each other, but Depp was the bigger winner. Jurors awarded the “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory” actor $10 million in compensatory damages and $5 million dollars in punitive damages. Although the judge in the case later said Depp’s punitive damages would be capped, “in accordance with law” to $350,000. The jury said Heard should receive $2 million in compensatory damages but gave her zero for punitive damages.
