After weeks of testimony, a jury ruled both Johnny Depp and his ex-wife, Amber Heard defamed each other. The jurors ordered Heard to pay Depp $15 million in damages. Depp received $10 million in compensatory damages and $5 million in punitive damages. The state of Virginia caps punitive damage at $350,000, so Depp is due $10.35 million. Heard received $2 million in compensatory damages with no punitive damages. In the verdict, the jury found that Heard defamed Depp three times in the infamous Washington Post Op-Ed from 2018. In the article, Heard said she was a “public figure representing domestic abuse.” Depp responded to the verdict on Instagram, saying that the Op-Ed had “a seismic impact on my life and my career, and six years later, the jury gave me my life back. I am truly humbled.” Heard’s award came after the jury found that Depp defamed her while trying to battle her accusations. In a statement, Heard said, “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. 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.” Over sixty witnesses testified during the six-week trial.
