Johnny Depp and Amber Heard were married from 2015 to 2017. The former couple had a tumultuous relationship, which ended in a highly publicized divorce. After the divorce, Amber Heard accused Johnny Depp of domestic abuse, which he denied. The defamation trial between the two went on for about six weeks in April-May 2022, and was held in Virginia, US.
The trial concluded on June 9, 2022, with the jury awarding Johnny Depp $10 million in compensatory damages and about $5 million in punitive damages. The jury found that Amber Heard had defamed Johnny Depp by accusing him of domestic abuse in a 2018 article published in The Washington Post.
The jury found that the article had caused Johnny Depp to suffer significant financial losses, as well as emotional distress. Johnny Depp’s lawyers argued that the article had caused him to lose lucrative acting roles, including his role as Captain Jack Sparrow in the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise.
The jury also found that Amber Heard had failed to prove that Johnny Depp had abused her. Amber Heard’s lawyers argued that she had been the victim of domestic abuse, but the jury found that her evidence was not sufficient to prove her claims.
The verdict in the trial is a major victory for Johnny Depp, who had been seeking damages for defamation. The jury’s award of $10 million in compensatory damages and $5 million in punitive damages is a significant sum of money for Johnny Depp, and it is likely to be a deterrent to anyone who may consider defaming him in the future.