The verdicts are in for the defamation trial involving Johnny Depp and Amber Heard. This legal battle dates back years, stemming from Heard had publicly described herself as a survivor of physical and sexual abuse in an op-ed written for The Washington Post in 2018. While she did not name Depp in the article, Depp says the connection was clear after Heard alleged that he had assaulted her in 2016.
According to Depp and his attorneys, he had been fired from his role in the Pirates of the Carribbean films because of the negative publicity surrounding the op-ed. He sued Heard for $50 million in damages, alleging she had defamed him by falsely accusing him of abuse. Heard counter-sued for $100 million and argued that Depp and his legal team had in fact defamed her, tarnishing her career by claiming that her abuse claims are a hoax. Both sides spent weeks bringing in witnesses and experts to plead their cases, and the jury reached their decision on Wednesday.
After three days of deliberations, the jury has unanimously declared Amber Heard guilty of defaming Depp. She was found guilty on all three counts. The jury also awarded Depp $10 million in compensatory damages and $5 million in punitive damages. However, when it comes to Heard's counterclaim that Depp had defamed Heard with statements released by his then-lawyer Adam Waldman, the jury has also declared Depp guilty on one count and not guilty on two other counts of defamation. Heard was awarded $2 million in compensatory damages.
It is likely that Heard's lawyers will appeal the verdict. While it had also been ruled that both parties were defamed, this can still be seen as a big win for Depp, as the jury also decided that the allegations Heard had made that Depp had abused her were false and defamatory. It was in particular the allegations of domestic violence that had the biggest effect on Depp's career, so Depp and his fans are still celebrating the verdict.
Depp was not present for the verdict, as his team announced that he would be watching the proceedings from the UK due to prior commitments. Meanwhile, Heard appeared in the courtroom for the reading. A Heard spokesperson also criticized Depp for not being present in court.
"Your presence shows where your priorities are. Johnny Depp plays guitar in the UK while Amber Heard waits for a verdict in Virginia. Depp is taking his snickering and lack of seriousness on tour," the spokesperson said.
Where Do Johnny Depp and Amber Heard Go From Here?
While this trial airing all of the couple's dirty laundry hasn't exactly painted either of them in the most flattering light, the legal battle coming to an end should help Depp and Heard move on with their lives. Regardless of the verdict, Depp had seemingly already found vindication in the eyes of many fans and trial observers. There have been popular petitions launched for him to get his role back from the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise, and while a return to that series may not happen, chances are many other big roles will soon be coming Depp's way.
Despite the negative attention she has gotten on social media, Heard is also expected to remain in Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom as of this writing. It was revealed during the trial that her role as Mera had been drastically reduced, culminating in a rumored ten minutes of overall screen time. Heard asserted that this was due to defamatory comments made by Depp's previous attorney, Adam Waldman, but producer Walter Hamada testified that it was because of a lack of chemistry with Jason Momoa.
In any case, Heard may not have a future in the DCEU after Aquaman 2. Still, regardless of the verdicts reached by the jury, there had been and will be those who continue to believe Heard's side of the story. Chances are we have not seen the last of her on screen, but it may be best not to bet on an appearance in a potential Aquaman 3.