By Chasidy Ruth: Editor-in-Chief
Johnny Depp has won his defamation case against his ex-wife, Amber Heard. The Jury came to the conclusion that Heard had defamed Depp.
Depp, who was absent from court on Wednesday due to a prior business commitment, was suing for $50 million in damages by Heard over a 2018 belief-commentary column in The Washington Post, in which she claimed she had evolved into a “public figure embodying domestic abuse.” Despite the fact that the article did not reference Depp by name, his lawyers believe it alluded to claims she made against him during their 2016 divorce.
The Jury assessed each of the six statements independently and carefully accepted the defamation accusations, as evidenced by the combined opinion.
Depp and Heard each testified twice. The Jury also viewed the extensive evidence that Heard’s attorneys said demonstrated Depp’s damaging character and viewed document concepts that featured insulting dialogue between Depp and peer star Paul Bettany.
Heard’s sister stated she saw Depp attack her, and a witness testified about seeing her bruises and wounds.
Fans expressed their anger on social media and queued up all night for coveted courtroom seats, adding to the spectacle as TV cameras in the courtroom captured every twist for an increasingly rapt audience.
The concluding arguments were made on Friday. By the time the court broke for lunch, jurors had heard from defense counsel for Depp and Heard, who arrived 45 minutes later that afternoon to deliver counter closing statements. The case was delivered to the Jury later that day, bringing to a close s
ix weeks of courtroom drama that exposed the stars’ turbulent marriage.
The Jury was instructed to focus their deliberations on whether there had been abuse and whether Heard’s op-ed piece was legally defamatory. Depp’s attorney presented substantial evidence to the jurors, which resulted in a win for Depp and his legal team. Depp was awarded 15 million dollars in damages while Heard received 2 million.
Photos Via wikapedia.com
