The American actress, Amber Heard, said in an Instagram post on Monday that she will settle a defamation lawsuit brought against her by her ex-husband, Johnny Depp, after months of a weeks-long televised trial.
Heard described the decision to deal with Depp as “very difficult”, adding that it came after “a great deal of deliberation”.
And a Virginia jury ruled last June that Heard, the heroine of the film Aquaman, defamed Depp, the hero of the film Pirates of the Caribbean, by writing an opinion piece in 2018, in a six-week trial that was widely seen and including clear and frank evidence and testimony detailing the strained relationship between the ex-spouses.
The jury also found in Heard’s favor in some aspects of his counterclaim against Depp.
“It’s important for me to say that I never chose this. I stood up for my right, and in doing so my life was ruined,” she said, adding that “the vilification I’ve faced on social media is a version of the ways which women are re-victimized when they move forward.” And they scream.”
In her statement, Heard framed the deal as a last resort, describing it as “a chance to free myself from something I’ve been trying to let go of for over six years and on terms I can accept.”
He added: “I had exhausted nearly all of my resources before and during a courtroom trial in which abundant and direct evidence to support my testimony was excluded and in which popularity and authority were more important than reason and due process.” Meanwhile, I was being subjected to a kind of humiliation that I simply can’t bear. “I’m living it again.”
Hurd said solving the case would allow her to spend her time “productively and meaningfully” after “many years stuck in a tedious and costly legal process that has proven unable to protect me and my right to free expression.” “.
The jury had decided to award Depp $15 million in damages from Heard, while awarding her $2 million in damages.
On the other hand, Depp’s lawyers said in a statement that they were “delighted to officially close this painful chapter for Mr. Depp,” noting that the matter wasn’t about money.
While a source close to Depp said the ruling against Heard could still be used against her if she makes false or defamatory allegations in the future, contrary to what she wrote in her statement, the network reported. NBC news.
Depp, 58, is suing Heard for $50 million in damages, saying she defamed him when she described herself as a “public figure representing (the tragedy of) domestic violence” in her article published in The Washington Post.
On the other hand, Hurd, 36, is seeking $100 million in settlements, saying Depp abused her when his lawyer described her allegations as “vexatious.”
Depp denied hitting Hurd or any woman and said Hurd was the one who used violence with him in their relationship.
