Introduced on the set of the movie Rum Diary (2009), ex-couple Johnny Depp and Amber Heard didn’t know the rocky road that waited ahead of them. The couple dated shortly before getting married in a private ceremony in 2015, but their marital relationship only lasted till 2016 when Heard filed for divorce. What came as a surprise then was the fact that she also got a restraining order against her ex-husband.
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Victim of domestic violence?
Their conflict escalated in 2018 when the 36-year-old actress published an op-ed in the Washington Post claiming that she had been a victim of domestic violence. Even though the article didn’t specify a name, it was heavily implied with the time frame of the event that Depp was the abuser. The repercussions for Depp were devastating as he suffered heavy losses and was even removed from the Pirated of the Caribbean franchise by Disney.
Since then Depp and Heard's relationship has gotten a lot of attention from the media. The British newspaper The Sun even dubbed the 58-year-old actor as a wife-beater after Heard's accusations, against which Depp filed a lawsuit against the magazine. He, however, lost that case as the judges then believed Heard's claims.
The new trial
Nevertheless, the Edward Scissorhands actor proceeded to file a $50 million lawsuit against his ex-wife for defamation of character in the court of Fairfax, Virginia, USA. Depp mentioned the damage his reputation and career have received due to the whole ordeal. The $50 million is his loss of earnings, for which his ex-wife is said to be responsible. Heard then countersued her ex-husband for $100 million.
Trial reveals dark secrets
The trial began in April 2022 and has been since broadcasted live on TV as well as online. The ex-couple were under intense scrutiny from around the world. Evidence in the form of voice recordings, videos and pictures were presented in the court for everyone to witness, by both the parties. Their legal teams also bought forth medical experts to support their claims.
Heard’s sister Whitney took the stand to support her sister. Whereas, Depp also summoned his ex-girlfriend Kate Moss to testify about the abuse allegations made by Heard against him. Moss denied the claims and stated that Depp never hurt her in any way.
The final verdict
Both the parties gave their closing statements on Friday, May 27 and the jury began deliberation on 30 May. After a few days of deliberation, they have finally revealed the verdict that millions have been eagerly awaiting.
As viewed by millions of people on the Law & Crime Network, which was live-streaming the entire trial, Amber Heard was found guilty of defamation charges. The jury announced Johnny Depp will be given $15 million. A far less amount than he had asked for. In the verdict, the jury said Amber Heard's allegations were 'false' and 'fraudulent'. However, the jury agreed with Amber Heard on one account. Johnny Depp's lawyer, Adam Waldman, wrongly called her allegations a 'hoax'. For that alone, Heard will be given $2 million which will be deducted from her $15 million.
This article has been translated from Oh!MyMag DE.
Read more:
⋙ Johnny Depp and Amber Heard: What will happen to the person who loses the trial?
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⋙ Johnny Depp trial: Amber Heard’s lies exposed by makeup brand
