A jury in Fairfax, Virginia has reached a verdict in Johnny Depp’s defamation case against his ex-wife Amber Heard. The seven-person jury sided with Depp and agreed that Heard's op-ed in The Washington Post is defamation.
The court revealed that the seven-person jury, which began deliberating on Friday, sided with Depp in suit-countersuit over an op-ed Heard wrote in The Washington Post about domestic abuse. Depp sued Heard for $50 million following for defamation, to which Heard countersued Depp for $100 million.
Judge Penney Azcarate announced the verdict at the courthouse, where Heard was present. Depp was not present for the verdict and instead was in the United Kingdom performing at a concert.
The trial lasted six weeks and both parties presented their case to a jury. The panel was asked to determine whether any of the three statements Heard made in her op-ed on Washington Post constituted defamation. The jurors were also asked to determine the damages if they side with either party.
The jurors awarded Depp $15 million in damages but also awarded Heard $2 million for punitive damages.
The trial generated weeks of online discussion. Both parties claimed they were impacted by the trial, whether it was Depp not returning to the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise, or Heard’s future with DC and the Aquaman franchise.
Matt T.M. Kim is IGN's News Editor. You can reach him @lawoftd.
(Photo by Cliff Owen/Consolidated News Pictures/Getty Images)
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The court revealed that the seven-person jury, which began deliberating on Friday, sided with Depp in suit-countersuit over an op-ed Heard wrote in The Washington Post about domestic abuse. Depp sued Heard for $50 million following for defamation, to which Heard countersued Depp for $100 million.
Judge Penney Azcarate announced the verdict at the courthouse, where Heard was present. Depp was not present for the verdict and instead was in the United Kingdom performing at a concert.
The trial lasted six weeks and both parties presented their case to a jury. The panel was asked to determine whether any of the three statements Heard made in her op-ed on Washington Post constituted defamation. The jurors were also asked to determine the damages if they side with either party.
The jurors awarded Depp $15 million in damages but also awarded Heard $2 million for punitive damages.
The trial generated weeks of online discussion. Both parties claimed they were impacted by the trial, whether it was Depp not returning to the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise, or Heard’s future with DC and the Aquaman franchise.
Matt T.M. Kim is IGN's News Editor. You can reach him @lawoftd.
(Photo by Cliff Owen/Consolidated News Pictures/Getty Images)
Continue reading...