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A popular jury ruled on Wednesday that Amber Heard defamed Johnny Depp with her article in The Washington Post in which she presented herself as a victim of domestic abuse. They also determined that she was defamed, but by the actor’s attorney and only on one of the three statements included in her counterclaim.
The group of seven people, who reached the verdict unanimously, decided that the actress will have to pay him US$15 million in total for the protagonist of “Pirates of the Caribbean”; US$10 million in compensation for damages and US$5 million in punitive damages.
For the defamation carried out by the artist’s lawyer, Adam Waldmanthe jury determined that Heard will receive compensation of $2 million.
After knowing the decision, and through a written statement, Depp maintained that starting the legal process in April was something “considerably thinking”.
“From the beginning, the goal of bringing this case was to reveal the truth, regardless of the outcome,” he said.
He added: “They made false, very serious and criminal accusations against me through the media, which triggered an endless barrage of hateful content, although no charges were ever brought against me. I had already been around the world two times in a nanosecond and it had a seismic impact on my life and my career.
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Heard, for her part, said she felt “disappointed” and “heartbroken”.
“The mountain of evidence was not enough to stand up to my ex-husband’s disproportionate power and influence,” she said, also in a written statement.
“I am even more disappointed in what this verdict means for other women. It is a setback. It turns back the clock to a time when a woman who speaks out can be publicly shamed and humiliated. It turns back the idea that violence against women should be taken seriously,” he added.
The legal battle began by a lawsuit filed by Depp against his ex-wifewho in 2018 published a column titledI spoke out against sexual violence and faced the wrath of our culture. Although in this letter he did not name the actor directly, he argued that the letter identified him as the person responsible for the abuse.
The interpreter’s lawyers, who is 58 years old, argued in court that the accusations were false and that his life was “ruined” after the publication, and asked for US$50 million in damages.
Heard, 36, countersued her ex-husband for $100 million. His legal team argued that the actor’s lawsuit was precisely defamatory. They also pointed out that he had a campaign against the protagonist of Aquaman.
image source, EPA
Amber Heard was in the state for four days.
During the trial, held in Virginia, United States, both public figures took the stand in an attempt to prove their claims, and revealed lurid details of their relationshipwhich began in 2011 and culminated in a divorce in 2016.
According to the actress, Depp would have committed physical, emotional and sexual abuse, sometimes under the influence of alcohol and drugs, just months into the relationship.
The actor denied before the jury having incurred any type of abuse. But, in addition, he accused Heard of being the violent person in the marriage. He also recounted several scenes of abuse allegedly committed by the actress.
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