The jury has awarded Johnny Depp $15 million in his defamation case against Amber Heard, which includes compensations of $10 million and punitive damages of $5 million.
After deliberating for approximately 13 hours, the panel of seven in Fairfax proceeded to grant the Pirates of the Caribbean actor $15 million in damages. However, because Virginia law caps punitive damages in these cases at $350,000, the judge cut his potential punitive damages from $5 million to $350,000.
Amber now owes $8,350,000 to Johnny Depp.
Depp was in the United Kingdom on tour with guitar legend, Jeff Beck at the time of the verdict, therefore was not present in court.
Amber Heard, on the other hand, was present during the verdict.
Out of the $100 million she sought in her countersuit against her ex-husband, Heard was awarded $2 million in compensatory damages. Punitive damages were also awarded to her in the amount of zero dollars.
Heard, 36, claims Depp assaulted her physically and sexually.
Depp, on the other hand, has continued to refute the allegations.
Depp’s lawyers went to great efforts throughout the six-week trial to argue that Depp, not Heard, was the victim of domestic abuse in their relationship.
After the verdict, Amber Heard released a statement saying, “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.”
Heard, who described the ruling as a “setback” for other women, said: “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.
“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.”
The actress won the second of three counts in her $100 million counterclaims against Depp, with the jury determining that Depp’s attorney Adam Waldman did slander her when he told the Daily Mail that she set up Depp in a hoax when the cops came to their residence in May 2016.