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A courtroom in Fairfax, Virginia was surrounded by fans this morning as the Johnny Depp vs. Amber Heard defamation trial came to an end. After a six-week trial that captivated the world, seven members of the jury deliberated for three days, unanimously deciding that Heard defamed Depp on all three counts, saying he should be awarded $15 million. The jury also found in favor of Heard’s countersuit on one count, saying she should receive $2 million. Heard was in court while Depp watched from the UK, and they have both released statements.
Immediately following the verdict Depp released a long statement on Instagram, ““Six year 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 wrote.
“False, very serious and criminal allegations were levied at me via the media, which triggered an endless barrage of hateful content, although no charges were ever brought against me. It had already travelled around the world twice within a millisecond and it had a seismic impact on my life and career. And six years later, the jury gave me my life back. I am truly humbled,” the actor continued.
Heard then released a statement on Instagram sharing her disappointment with a screenshot of text explaining, “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.”
She went on to call the verdict a “setback” for women. “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 wrote. Heard went on to bring up freedom of speech, “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 UK. 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,” she concluded.
The verdict comes after an online petition to remove Heard from Aquaman 2 reached 4.4 million signatures, with the goal being 4.5 million.