Today, reader support makes up about two-thirds of our budget, allows us to dig deep on stories that matter, and lets us keep our reporting free for everyone. Due to previously scheduled work commitments made before the trial, Mr Depp will not be physically present for todays 3pm verdict and will be watching from the United Kingdom, a source close to Mr Depp told Law & Crime in a statement. How did they both win money? The document also includes a motion asking for corrections to be made in the verdict form jurors have been instructed to use to present their decision. With closing arguments scheduled for Friday (27 May) before the jury deliberates, which public figures are supporting Heard? Despite common misperceptions, thesevenjurors currently deliberating in a Fairfax, Virginia, court are not decidingwhether Depp abused Heard, or Heard abused Depp, (or both), but whether her words in the op-ed amounted to defamation. Was it false for Heard to say she had become a public figure representing domestic abuse, two years after that People magazine cover? Neither man wound up testifying. They have selected some of her sexual-violence hoax facts as the sword, inflicting them on the public and Mr. Depp. The second statement at issue in Heards counterclaim was from April 27, 2020, when Waldman told the Daily Mail, Quite simply this was an ambush, a hoax. The proceedings began with jury selection on 11 April 2022 in Fairfax, Virginia. The trial is taking place in Fairfax because the online edition of The Post is published via servers in the county, allowing Mr Depp to sue her in that area. The jury awarded Depp $10 million in compensatory damages and $5 million in punitive damages. Johnny Depp has won his defamation case against his former wife Amber Heard after a jury found that a statement that Ms Heard made about domestic abuse in a 2018 opinion piece clearly referred to . Rachel Sharp reports. The opinion of one is not enough; all seven must agree. Heard was found to have a partial win in her case and was awarded $2m (1.6m) in compensatory damages, but . Paragliders record never-before-seen footage of world's second-tallest mountain, Elizabeth Holmes has 2nd child as prison sentence looms, Dozens of sharks swarm fishing boat in feeding frenzy off Louisiana coast, video shows. Judge Bruce White denied the VPAs request and allowed Depps suit to proceed, citing longstanding Virginia case law. Both Depps 2019 suit and Heards 2020 countersuit were before the jury. A few minutes on a popular YouTube stream of the trial reveals a torrent of gendered abuse in the commentscriticizing Heard for crying or not crying enough, calling her a gold-digger and crazy lunatic woman, speculating about the smell of her body. I was begging Johnny to not make me prove what Ive had to sit on the stand in front of all of you and prove, Heard said on the stand last week, explaining a recording of a phone call in which she pleaded with him for a mutual gag order. Representatives for the actor said earlier today he would be watching from Britain when the verdict in the civil case was read out. Under state law, punitive damages are capped at $350,000, so he stands to get a little more than $10 million. And its clear that the title is the statement so I was going to answer that the title is the statement in question, she added. The last statement they considered was I had the rare vantage point of seeing, in real time, how institutions protect men accused of abuse. The jury considered each of these statements individually. When will there be a verdict in Johnny Depps trial against Amber Heard? At their best, they are each incredible. I can't stop wondering why she pushed for the jury's identities to be sealed for a year. Repeatedly unsuccessful in getting the March 2019-filed lawsuit dismissed or moved to another jurisdiction, Heard countersued Depp in the summer of 2020 for $100 million. ET, but the judge noticed that the jury forgot to fill out on the forms what the damages would be, so they were sent back to the deliberation room to complete the paperwork, which caused a delay in the proceedings. You\'ll receive the next newsletter in your inbox. It awarded him $10 million compensatory damages and $5 . 2023 SheMedia, LLC. Johnny Depp and Amber Heard's libel trial has come to a close with Depp emerging the victor. It asks the jury to rule on all three statements behind Johnny Depps allegations against Amber Heard. Throughout the trial, Depp has maintained that he never assaulted Heard; rather, his legal team argues that she was the primary aggressor in the relationship, abusing him physically, verbally, and emotionally. The reputation management consultant believes Depp's career will survive . Its not illogical for survivors to pause and say, Is it worth it to come forward?. He said in a statement, The jury gave me my life back. Depp also said that the 2018 article devastated his career. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Thanks for contacting us. The jury found Amber guilty of all three counts of defamation in Johnnys lawsuit brought against her over her allegations of domestic abuse in her 2018 Washington Post op-ed. Amber Heards lawyers have accused Johnny Depp of victim-blaming at its most disgusting in closing arguments of the former couples defamation trial. Broad applications of the defamation by implication doctrine can chill the free press as it would require publishers to consider every potential defamatory implication that could possibly extend from otherwise accurate statements, wrote VPA attorney Jennifer Nelson, adding that the risks could be particularly acute with celebrity plaintiffs. Johnny Depp set out on a complicated legal path when he sued Amber Heard for defamation. According to Court TV, the jurors include five men and two women, with two alternate jurors remaining on standby if one of the main pool is dismissed or needs to drop out. Jurors have been provided with 38 pages worth of instructions to follow during their deliberations. What is clear is that under an order from Azcarate, the names of the jurors will not be released by the state of Virginia for at least a year. The verdict was announced on June 1, 2022, at 3 p.m. Todays verdict confirms what we have said from the beginning that the claims against Johnny Depp are defamatory and unsupported by any evidence, Camille Vasquez, one of Depps attorneys, told reporters afterward. Mr Depp first took the stand on Tuesday 19 April, then kept testifying every day up until the end of Thursday 21 April. Instructions given to the jury highlight three statements that make up the core of Johnny Depps defamation claims. Therapist confirms Johnny Depp kicked Amber Heard over James Franco affair A mber Heard might end up losing the trial. The cover of People magazine showed Heard with bruises around her eyes and a cut lip. There is a recording of Depp shouting at Heard for speaking in an "authoritative" way to him. A jury of seven people has been assembled for this case. Johnny Depp will not be present for the reading of the verdict as he is still in the UK. 2023 Variety Media, LLC. (Updated with more details & statements) Johnny Depp has won his defamation trial against Amber Heard, a Virginia jury decided Wednesday. Yes, Johnny won in his trial against Amber. Why are the proceedings on hold? The jury will return on Tuesday for deliberations. Following up on a slew of favorable critical reviews and award wins at Cannes and Sundance 2022, All That Breathes hits streaming and cable this month to bring the story of two Indian brothers far and wide. After a few years of dating, Johnny and Amber decided to tie the knot in 2015. The jury awarded Depp $10 million in compensatory damages and $5 million in punitive damages. Depp, 58, had sued Heard, 36, for $50 million over her 2018 essay in which she wrote about facing our cultures wrath for speaking out against a powerful man a warning that seemingly became more prescient with the jurys decision. It's very strange. That has to change.. We represent the ordinary folks, and now theyre the ones getting threatened all the time, Ibrahim says. Depps lawsuit was allowed to proceed on the doctrine of defamation by implication, which holds that seemingly neutral and accurate statements can still make a defamatory insinuation. Mr Depp has sued Ms Heard for $50m, and she has counter-sued him for $100m. The trial was chock full of celebrity name-drops with an early witness list including Tesla billionaire Elon Musk and actor James Franco. In their closing, Heards lawyers said ruling in favour of Depp would make jurors an accomplice to his abuse and to his campaign of global humiliation, and called out the actor for laughing and snide comments during closing arguments, adding that he engaged in victim-blaming at its most disgusting. Heard filed for a temporary restraining order against the actor following that May 2016 incident, after less than two years of marriage, as she petitioned a Los Angeles court for a divorce. Johnny Depp won his defamation case against ex-wife Amber Heard because the jury ultimately didn't believe she was telling the truth, legal experts told The Post. Johnny Depp was suing Amber Heard for defamation, following an op-ed she posted about the actor in the Washington Post in 2018. It was the opposite result of a UK case decided in 2020, which Depp resoundingly lost. Shortly afterward, she released a statement. Regarding Johnny Depps absence from court, a spokesperson for Amber Heard says: Your presence shows where your priorities are. Neither side is going to win, she says. Her team produced scores of photos of the actress bruises and injuries from alleged fights with Depp. Im then leaving at 5.30pm or 6pm [when the court day ends], going to bed for four hours and then I get up and do it all again. Deadline is a part of Penske Media Corporation. A jury in Virginia handed Johnny Depp victory in his defamation lawsuit against Amber Heard. Heres a breakdown by Louis Chilton of some of the biggest names to speak out in favour of Mr Depp, and what they said: All the celebrities who have supported Amber Heard. Heards claim that she felt the full force of our cultures wrath for women who speak out was taken to imply that Depp had in fact abused her, though she did not quite say that. Can you pitch in a few bucks to help fund Mother Jones' investigative journalism? What did Amber Heards Washington Post op-ed actually say? In a Netflix comedy by Katharine McPhees stepdaughter. Password must be at least 8 characters and contain: As part of your account, youll receive occasional updates and offers from New York, which you can opt out of anytime. Last, Heard claimed that Waldmans April 27, 2020, statement We have reached the beginning of the end of Ms. Heards abuse hoax against Johnny Depp was defamatory. The online obsession spurs a troubling question: Does the verdict really matter? On Monday, the 58-year-old actor launched . For each statement, they are asked to look at five elements: whether it was made by Alan Waldman while acting as an agent for Mr Depp, whether the statement is about Ms Heard, whether it was seen by someone other than Ms Heard, whether it is false, and whether Ms Heard proved by clear and convincing evidence that the statement by Mr Waldman was made with actual malice. Actor's defamation lawsuit against his ex-wife Amber Heard. 2023 Deadline Hollywood, LLC. Johnny Depp closing argument asks jurors to give him his life back. Primary Menu Sections. Amber Heards lawyer raised eyebrows in his closing argument as he sought to downplay the importance of a fight in which Johnny Depps finger was severed. Amber Heard lawyer urges jurors not to be accomplice to Johnny Depps abuse. Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. What happens next in the Johnny Depp v Amber Heard defamation trial? The seven-person civil jury ordered Heard to pay $15 million, although state cap on punitive damages means Depp will . Mr Depp filed a libel lawsuit against the newspapers publisher in 2018, and it went to trial in 2020. Im sad I lost this case. But what has caught peoples attention more than just the trials wild claims are the social media users who have taken the case into their own hands, writes Meredith Clark: Tuesday 31 May 2022 23:30 , Clemence Michallon. Every day. Johnny Depps legal team has asked the court to strike part of Amber Heards teams closing arguments. Heard said the verdict will ultimately hurt other women. Johnny Depp during his 2022 lawsuit against Amber Heard in Fairfax County, Virginia. The article never mentioned him by name, but his lawyers argued that it defamed him nonetheless because it was a clear reference to Heards allegations of abuse at the time of their 2016 divorce. Variety is a part of Penske Media Corporation. 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