Johnny Depp vs. Amber Heard – The tumultuous trial that revealed scandalous details about the stars’ life together ended on Friday (May 27). More than a celebrity or two were mentioned in it, and top model Kate Moss even testified in court. After the jury resumed its deliberations on Tuesday (May 31), they reached a verdict. What does this mean for Johnny Depp? But first, let’s quickly recap why the actor filed a $50 million lawsuit against his ex-wife in the first place.
Johnny Depp vs. Amber Heard: How did the mud fight come about?
Depp filed a lawsuit against his ex-wife for writing an opinion piece in The Washington Post in 2018 in which she identified herself as a public figure representing domestic violence. Depp, who is demanding $50 million, claims the article damaged his reputation and career, although Heard didn’t name him because she referenced the period two years prior to when she was seeking divorce and a restraining order had – Depp has denied all allegations of abuse.
Heard then sued Depp for $100 million after his attorney, Adam Waldman, said in three press statements that their claims were false.
Violence, lies and the end of a career: That’s the reason for Depp’s accusation!
Depp’s lawyers allege that Heard abused him, not the other way around. To prove this, they produced a number of witnesses who knew the couple and claimed never to have seen Heard’s injuries. They played various recordings in which Heard mocks and insults Depp. The actor has said that when Heard made her claims, people in the entertainment industry began to think he was a “conman” and that she ruined his career, costing him “everything.”
A toxic relationship: That is the core of Heard’s allegations
Heard alleges that Depp was an ongoing physical and sexual abuse of her, which worsened when he drank heavily and used drugs, particularly cocaine and MDMA. The defense called several witnesses who said they saw Depp in various states of intoxication. Most of them testified that they did not see Depp punch Heard, but did observe him becoming jealous and angry on several occasions. Heard also says she lost career opportunities due to multiple comments made to the media by Depp’s attorney, Adam Waldman, who claimed her claims were false.
Johnny Depp Won Trial vs. Amber Heard – What Next?
The verdict came after weeks of explosive testimony in the courtroom in Fairfax, Virginia. The jury said Amber Heard defamed Johnny in her allegations and that the Aquaman star acted with “actual malice” in her allegations. They awarded Johnny $10 million in compensation. Add to that $5 million in penalties, making Johnny a total of $15 million.
There was a partial win for Amber, however, as the jury awarded her $2 million after finding that Johnny had framed her through his attorney, Adam Waldman. Amber was present for the dramatic moment but Johnny wasn’t there as he was performing at a rock concert in the UK.
It’s important to know that despite her conviction for defamation, she will not go to jail because this is a civil trial, not a criminal one.
Will Johnny Depp return for Pirates of the Caribbean 6?
However, one question remains unanswered: how will the two stars continue in terms of careers. Depp has already confirmed that he doesn’t want to return for Pirates of the Caribbean 6. For the producers, a return of the actor is not excluded in the future. Instead, this time there will be a main heroine, played by Australian actress Margot Robbie.
You can read more about the story of Johnny and Amber here!
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