Johnny Depp issued a lengthy statement in which he expressed his joy about the outcome of his case against Amber Heard. After a jury found that she defamed Depp in a 2018 Washington Post op-ed referring to her earlier accusations of domestic abuse, Amber Heard must now pay Depp $15 million in damages ($10 million in compensatory damages and $5 million in punitive damages).
While the jury agreed with Depp in the verdict, it nonetheless found that Depp defamed Heard in the course of defending herself against her allegations. For her counterclaim, the jury awarded Heard $2 million in compensatory damages.
“From the very beginning, the goal of bringing this case was to reveal the truth, regardless of the outcome,” Depp wrote in a statement following the verdict. “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.”
While Depp celebrated the verdict, Heard slammed the decision in her own statement. “The disappointment I feel today is beyond words,” she said. “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.”
When the verdict was read in the Virginia courthouse, Depp was not there. The actor is presently based in the United Kingdom.