Johnny Depp’s trial against Amber Heard: the verdict favors the actor and she has to pay him 15 million dollars

The jury awards Johnny Depp $ 15 million in damages in his defamation lawsuit against Amber Heard. But at the same time, it was established in the process that the actress will receive 2 million for her counterclaim.

The jury reached a verdict in the case for “defamation” brought by Johnny Depp against his ex-wife Amber Heard, who testified that Depp physically and sexually abused her on multiple occasions.

The competent court also ruled on the counterclaim of 100 million dollars filed by Heard against Depp. Heard said she was vilified when a Depp lawyer called her allegations of misuse of inventions.

To reach a verdict, the seven-member civil jury had to reach a unanimous decision. They deliberated for about 12 hours in three days.

Depp is suing his ex-wife for $ 50 millionaccusing her of discrediting him for an editorial he published in 2018 describing himself as “a public figure representing domestic abuse”.

Heard filed his $ 100 million counterclaim against the star Pirates of the Caribbean after a lawyer called his accusations a hoax for him. Each accuses the other of having destroyed his career.

The testimonies during the six-week trial they included sordid details about their short and unstable marriage. Heard testified that Depp abused her physically and sexually more than a dozen times. Depp said she never hit Heard, that she made up the allegations of abusing her, and that she actually physically attacked him on multiple occasions.

The jury had to decide on both charges based on whether these statements were made with “true malice”in the sense that they knew that what they were saying was false or that they were acting with a reckless contempt for the truth.

During the concluding discussions, both sides told the jury that a verdict in their favor would bring their clients back to life.

Depp didn’t wait in Virginia to hear the decision. He has spent the last few days on stage singing and playing the guitar with Jeff Beck in the UK.

possible scenarios

– Victory without damage. There would be no financial compensation and it could be declared as mistral.

– Appeal. It is a very likely path because “the reputation and career of two great movie stars are at stake,” close sources say.

– What if Depp loses the trial? Amber’s deal could seriously destabilize her property. Since the figures claimed by both sides are scandalous. There is a counterclaim by the actress to Depp that includes compensation reaching $ 100 million.

– At the same time, in case of giving rise to the request, Amber would have the same equity risk as the actor. Since Depp asks him for $ 50 million, based on the contracts he lost as a result of this accusation. According to his position, this was the reason for the cancellation of the sixth installment of the film Pirates of the Caribbean, his most successful saga.

That love story …

Johnny Depp and Amber Heard they met in 2009 on the set of his film The rum diary. The journalistic notes assure that the crush was immediate.

Already separated from their respective partners at the time, they whitened the relationship. They were together from 2012 to 2016. They got married in 2015 and soon got divorced on bad terms.

He asked him divorce from the actor in 2016 with a millionaire economic deal and complaints that included physical and verbal abuse and a restraining order against him.

The matter was closed with a “deal” between them and a declaration of apparent resolution of the conflict.

However, the peace did not last long. In 2018, Heard said in a note to Washington Post who had been a victim of gender-based violence. That article is the cause of this libel suit that would finally have a solution in the next few hours.

Agencies

What’s new in development …

CJL