This is a cautionary tale, which exhorts anybody who’s followed it – live or reported – to tend to their primary relationships, especially when the going gets tough. Perhaps a secondary lesson; if things become irreconcilable, keep it tidy and get in an expert mediation lawyer. Also, if you’re high profile, or get that way, do not play the woke card, as Amber Heard did in her messy litigation with former husband Johnny Depp. She lost badly overall, winning a small pyrrhic victory, which she still insists represents her ‘courageous stand’ for abused women. That may even be partly true but she certainly churned it. Here’s a ‘fun’ challenge; see which party you’re inclined to sympathise with and reflect on whether it mirrors anything in your own partnership. Nothing like a good celebrity scrap to exercise that transference muscle… Story courtesy of The Wall Street Journal. – Chris Bateman
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Jury Finds in Favor of Johnny Depp in Defamation Lawsuit Against Amber Heard
Mr. Depp awarded $10.4 million in damages; Ms. Heard receives $2 million
A Virginia jury found in favor of actor Johnny Depp in his case against Amber Heard, closing a widely watched and emotional trial centered on defamation and abuse accusations between the former couple.
The seven-member jury found Mr. Depp proved all three claims of defamation against his former spouse regarding statements in an opinion article she wrote for the Washington Post in 2018, awarding him $15 million. Fairfax County Circuit Court Judge Penney Azcarate reduced the punitive damages the jury awarded to Mr. Depp to $350,000, the state’s statutory cap, amending his total damages to $10.4 million.
The jury also found for Ms. Heard on one of three defamation claims and awarded her $2 million in compensatory damages.
The trial, which started in April, drew massive attention on social media, where viewers attempted to analyze details of the proceedings. Fans of Mr. Depp gathered outside of the court Wednesday cheered in response to each of the verdicts coming down, according to a live stream of the scene.
“From the very beginning, the goal of bringing this case was to reveal the truth, regardless of the outcome,” Mr. Depp said in a statement after the verdict Wednesday. “Speaking the truth was something that I owed to my children and to all those who have remained steadfast in their support of me. I feel at peace knowing I have finally accomplished that.”
Ms. Heard, who sat between her lawyers in the courtroom as the verdict was read, said she was disappointed and heartbroken by the jury’s decision.
“I’m even more disappointed with what this verdict means for other women,” Ms. Heard said. “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.”
Ms. Heard’s spokesperson did not immediately reply when asked if she would appeal.
The trial centered on a $50 million defamation lawsuit that Mr. Depp filed against Ms. Heard in 2019 over her opinion article, in which she referred to herself as “a public figure representing domestic abuse.” Jurors also weighed a $100 million countersuit brought by Ms. Heard, in which she accused her ex-spouse of defamation.
Mr. Depp had alleged that, while Ms. Heard’s opinion article didn’t specifically mention him by name, the actress falsely implied he was a domestic abuser and wrote the piece “with actual malice.”
He claimed the accusations of abuse damaged his reputation and career. The lawsuit also alleged Ms. Heard abused Mr. Depp.
Ms. Heard has denied his abuse accusations and accused Mr. Depp of defamation for claiming she fabricated injuries related to alleged abuse.
She has said the opinion article is accurate and that Mr. Depp emotionally and physically abused her throughout their relationship and marriage, often when he was drunk or high. The counterclaim also accused Mr. Depp of orchestrating efforts to destroy her career.
Mr. Depp denied accusations of abuse, as well as Ms. Heard’s allegations that he made defamatory statements and sought to destroy her career.
Mr. Depp didn’t appear in court for the verdict due to “previously scheduled work commitments made before the trial” and would watch from the U.K., a person familiar with the matter said before the verdict was read. Videos posted on social media over the weekend showed the actor performing alongside Jeff Beck at a concert in England.
Judge Azcarate ordered the names of the jurors to be sealed for one year after the trial, according to court documents.
Mr. Depp previously lost a libel case in the U.K. in 2020 against a British tabloid that referred to him as a “wife beater” over his alleged treatment of Ms. Heard.
Write to Jennifer Calfas at [email protected]
Corrections & Amplifications
The musician Jeff Beck is known primarily as a guitarist. An earlier version of this article incorrectly described him as a singer. (Corrected on June 1.)
