A jury in Virginia found that a Washington Post editorial written by Johnny Depp's ex- wife was libelous.
The jury awarded fifteen million dollars in damages. The jury awarded Heard $2 million in damages for one of three statements made by an attorney for Depp, which she said were defamatory.
While the verdict was being read, Heard could be seen in the courtroom, looking down at the table in front of her.
She said in a statement that the disappointment was beyond words.
She said that the verdict was a setback for women because they could be publicly shamed and humiliated if they spoke out.
She said that it sets back the idea that violence against women is taken seriously.
In 2016 Heard publicly alleged that she was physically abused by Johnny Depp during their relationship, which began on the set of The Rum Diary and ended in a brief marriage. He says that Heard's accusation caused him to lose out on lucrative film roles, and that he was the one who was abused.
After six weeks of arguments and testimony, the jury is ready to answer a number of complicated questions about the case. CourtTV reported from inside the courtroom that the panel was made up of five men and two women and ranged in age from their 20s to one.
In late 2020, a British court ruled in favor of Heard, who was accused of being a wife beater by a U.K. tabloid headline. Judge Andrew Nicol said that the claim was substantially true.
The Washington Post editorial was at the center of the U.S. case.
Heard wrote an article with help from attorneys at the American Civil Liberties Union, but didn't mention the actor by name. Heard is a public figure representing domestic abuse.
The case was framed as a First Amendment issue. Heard thought she had lost a right when she received the verdict.
The civil trial was held in Virginia because The Washington Post is printed there. A procession of experts, including dueling psychiatrists who tried to diagnose Heard and Depp, along with family members, former friends, employees, law enforcement officers and top figures in the entertainment industry rounded out the witness list.
The trial was heavily mentioned on social media in favor of the star. Those who bucked the trend were at risk of verbal attacks and online harassment. Outside the courtroom each day, a crowd of Depp's supporters held handmade signs and 888-270-6611 888-270-6611 888-270-6611 888-270-6611 888-270-6611 888-270-6611 888-270-6611 888-270-6611 888-270-6611 888-270-6611 888-270-6611 888-270-6611 888-270-6611 888-270-6611 888-270-6611 888-270-6611 888-270-6611 888-270-6611 888-270-6611 888-270-6611 888-270-6611 888-270-6611 888-270-6611 888-270-6611 888-270-6611 888-270-6611 888-270-6611 888-270-6611 888-270-6611 888-270-6611 888-270-6611 888-270-6611 888-270-6611 888-270-6611 888-270-6611 888-270-6611 888-270-6611 888-270-6611 888-270-6611 888-270-6611 888-270-6611
The groups that advocate for domestic violence survivors were concerned that the spectacle could discourage victims from coming forward.
Heard was painted as an attention-seeker who completely fabricated her story. One of his attorneys told the court that Heard was a liar who wanted the world to believe her lies.
The testimony shared at the trial concerned differing perspectives on a number of violent incidents that took place during the relationship, such as the private plane ride where Heard allegedly slapped and kicked to the floor after accusing her of having an affair with actor James Franco. Drug and alcohol use was indicated in text messages displayed in court. After Heard was told by text that the actor had to be informed of what happened on the plane, he cried and pledged to correct his behavior. According to the assistant's texts, she was determined to book her own flight away from him, even though she wanted to see Heard in person.
Heard's version of events was supported by other records shown in court. IO Tillett Wright, a former mutual friend of the couple who in 2016 penned an essay for Refinery29 to explain why he called the police during a fight of theirs, said she never would. Several former friends who were deposed described Depp as a person who could be volatile.
The most disturbing episode took place in March of 2015, when the fifth Pirates of the Caribbean movie was being filmed. The couple were married on a private island.
Heard testified that, over the course of three days, Depp drank and took drugs and began to rage at her, shoving her up against a wall and sexually assault her. She said she fled to her room and found the house in a state of disarray.
She testified that she was scared because she had just married him.
Photographs of the house displayed in court show cryptic messages written in blood from one of Johnny Depp's fingers. The jury heard two different explanations for the injury, one of which was that Heard threw a glass bottle at him, and the other that he sliced off his finger. Walls, mirrors, and at least one lamp were covered in graffiti and painted in what appeared to be paint.
Disney paused production of thePirates movie while Depp was flown back to Los Angeles for emergency surgery, an expensive move for the studio.
The agent who represented the actor for 30 years testified that he became increasingly problematic on set in the last years of their working relationship, showing up hours late without knowing all of his lines. She had to fly to Australia twice to deal with him.
The actor has been open about his struggles with drugs and alcohol. He described how the success of the Pirates franchise made it hard to go out in public with his kids, and that he used substances to cope with difficult emotions.
He wouldn't describe it as a problem.
He told the court that he was not a maniac who needed to be high or loaded all the time.
He testified that he had never hit a woman in his life. He was steered away from physical violence by his abusive mother.
One of the trial's most-referenced audio clips featured Heard.
He said that he walked away from the argument.
He would become agitated and disappear until he showed up again, more sober and determined to not act badly, according to his ex-wife. Text messages and emails were read in court and they showed that there were many references to the side of him that was said to come out when he was drunk, high or both. He apologized multiple times in the messages.
Heard told jurors that she stayed with Depp because he could be charming when sober, and she believed he could change. One of the most common patterns in abusive relationships is a partner's change of behavior.
Heard could have digitally manipulated photographs in which her face appeared bruised, suggesting that she could have been involved in a yearslong plot to ruin Depp's reputation. Instead of standing up as a domestic violence victim, Heard had spun stories of abuse and performance in court.
An attorney for Heard used his closing statements to paint the arguments of Depp as harmful.
It didn't happen if you didn't take pictures. If you took pictures, they are not real, said Rottenborn.
He told the court that they were trying to trick them into believing that Amber has to be perfect to win.
The article was originally on HuffPost.
All Rights Reserved © 2024
