The jury has ruled in favor of Johnny Depp in the high-profile defamation lawsuit against his ex-wife Amber Heard. The seven-member jury ordered Heard to pay Depp $15 million in damages.
They awarded $10 million to the Pirates of The Caribbean Sea Star in compensatory damages while $5 million was awarded in punitive damages in the defamation suit.
Jury Awarded $2 Million to Amber Heard
But punitive damages awarded to Depp was reduced to $350,000, as the state has a statutory cap and his total damages amounted to $10.4 million.
The jury also awarded his ex-wife $2 million in compensatory damages. The jury in Virginia's Fairfax began the deliberation in the case on Friday.
Depp Was Not in Court At The Time of Verdict
Depp had sued the Aquaman star for $50 million after she wrote an op-ed in The Washington Post in 2018 and claimed herself a public figure, who represents domestic abuse. Heard had countersued Depp for $100 million.
Depp Calls It His Victory; Says False Allegations Were Levied Against Him
Depp was not present at the court when the jury announced its verdict but Heard was present and appeared to be emotional.
Depp, in his statement called the verdict his victory. "Six years ago, my life, the life of my children, the lives of those closest to me, and also, the lives of the people who for many, many years have supported and believed in me were forever changed. All in the blink of an eye," he said.
Jury Gave Me My Life Back, Says Depp
The actor also claimed that false allegations were levied at him via the media which included a barrage of hateful content. He went on to claim that hatred against him circulated against him worldwide within a nanosecond and made a seismic impact on his career and life.
Depp believes that the jury has given him his life back ad stated that he's truly humbled.
"My decision to pursue this case, knowing very well the height of the legal hurdles that I would be facing and the inevitable, worldwide spectacle into my life, was only made after considerable thought," said Depp.
Heard Was Guilty On All Claims of Defamation
The jury ultimately found that while Heard was guilty on all claims of defamation, Depp only defamed his ex once, when Adam Waldman told the Daily Mail Heard set Depp up in a "hoax" when police visited their apartment in 2016, according to New York Post.
Heard Feels Humiliated
Heard revealed that she feels humiliated. "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, " the actress told The Washington Post. She also claimed that the verdict is a setback for women.
Verdict is a Setback For Woman, Claims Heard
The jury substantiated that Heard sullied Depp's reputation and harmed his career as the actress mentioned becoming a "public figure representing domestic abuse". Depp won all three counts of the lawsuit against Heard.
