Amber Heard Responds To Johnny Depp Defamation Case Verdict
"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," she says.
Amber Heard lost her defamation case against ex-husband Johnny Depp today following years of legal battles over claims he physically abused her, and she him.
Over the past few weeks, both Heard and Depp took the stand along with numerous witnesses for both sides. For the past three days, the jury debated whether the actress defamed Depp in her 2018 op-ed for The Washington Post, in which she referred to herself as a victim of domestic abuse. At the time of his initial defamation lawsuit against her, the Pirates of the Caribbean actor—who has denied all claims of domestic abuse—said Heard's words damaged his reputation and career.
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Today, the jury came to a unanimous verdict and found Heard guilty of defamation. Depp was awarded $10 million in compensatory damages and $5 million in punitive damages, while Heard was given $2 million for compensatory damages relating to her counterlawsuit, which she filed after Depp’s attorney called her abuse claims a hoax.
Heard was present in the courtroom for the verdict hearing, while Depp listened from the U.K.
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Following the verdict, Heard released a statement. "The disappointment I feel today is beyond words. 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," she said, referring to Depp's fame and pull with fans, who overwhelmingly supported him in the case.
"I’m even more disappointed with what this verdict means for other women. It is a setback. It sets back the clock to a time when a woman who spoke up and spoke out could be publicly shamed and humiliated. It sets back the idea that violence against women is to be taken seriously," she added.
Pointing out that she won the case in the U.K., Heard said she's disappointed that she has "lost a right I thought I had as an American - to speak freely and openly."
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Depp, meanwhile, said in a statement that he feels "truly humbled" by the verdict, and that the jury "gave me my life back."
"From the very beginning, the goal of bringing this case was to reveal the truth, regardless of the outcome. Speaking the truth was something that I owed to my children and to all those who have remained steadfast in their support of me," he said.
This article originally appeared on Harper's BAZAAR US.