Hollywood star Johnny Depp released Wednesday a statement minutes after the verdicts were read in his $50 million defamation case against his ex-wife, actress Amber Heard.
“Six years 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,” the actor said in a statement on Instagram.
He added: “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 traveled around the world twice within a nanosecond 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. My decision to pursue this case, knowing very well the height of the legal hurdles that I would be facing and the inevitable, worldwide spectacle into my life, was only made after considerable thought,”.
“From the very beginning, the goal of bringing this case was to reveal the truth, regardless of the outcome. 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.” He concluded.
After less than three days of deliberation, the seven-person jury handed down the verdict in Virginia and found that Depp had been defamed by three statements in a 2018 Washington Post op-ed she wrote about her experience with domestic abuse and described herself as “a public figure representing domestic abuse”.
He was not referred to by name in the piece. However, the abuse allegations had cost him money and career opportunities. Heard has countersued for $100 million for defamation over statements made by an attorney for Depp who called her claims of abuse a “hoax”.
The trial kicked off on April 11 in the Washington, D.C.-adjacent jurisdiction and continued for six weeks.
The jury awarded Depp $15 million — $10 million in compensatory damages and $5 million in punitive damages.
However, Judge Penney Azcarate reduced the punitive damages figure to $350,000, the maximum allowed in the state, which makes Depp’s total haul around $10.4 million.
The jury, consisted of five men and two women, also concluded that Heard was defamed by a lawyer for Depp who accused her of creating a detailed hoax surrounding the abuse allegations. She was awarded $2 million in compensatory damages to Heard, but $0 in punitive damages.
https://youtu.be/sThZ4TZ_Py4
The case captivated viewers who watched the television coverage, including impassioned followers on social media who dissected the former couple’s mannerisms and wardrobe choices.
During the trial, dozens of witnesses testified during the trial, including friends, relatives, bodyguards, Hollywood executives, agents, and entertainment industry and medical experts.
Depp and Heard days on the witness stand during the televised trial, attended by hundreds of fans of the “Pirates of the Caribbean” star and accompanied by a #JusticeForJohnnyDepp campaign on social media.
Video and audio recordings of the arguments between the former couple were played for the jury, which was also shown photos of injuries allegedly suffered by Heard during their volatile relationship.
They also saw graphic photos of Depp’s bloody finger. He said the top of the finger was severed when Heard threw a vodka bottle at him in 2015.
Heard denied it and said Depp sexually assaulted her that night with a liquor bottle. She said she struck him only to defend herself or her sister.
The “Pirates of the Caribbean” star has denied hitting Heard or any woman and said she was the one who turned violent in their relationship.
During six weeks of testimony, Heard’s attorneys argued that she had told the truth and that her comments were covered as free speech under the U.S. Constitution’s First Amendment.
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