Amber Heard Issues Statement on Verdict in Favor of Johnny Depp – ‘Disappointment Beyond Words’

The jury finally reached a verdict in the Johnny Depp v. Amber Heard trial, with the jury siding unanimously with Depp. Heard released a statement regarding her feelings about the ruling.

What did the jury decide in the Johnny Depp trial?

Johnny Depp sued Amber Heard for defamation of character after her article published in The Washington Post detailing the alleged abuse she suffered at his hands. After weeks of testimonies and all aspects of the trial broadcast on television, the jury finally reached a verdict on June 1, 2022. 

The jurors found that Heard couldn’t prove her abuse allegations against Depp. They awarded the famous actor $10 million in compensatory damages and $5 million in punitive damages. However, the jury found Depp guilty of defamation against Heard on one account, and she was awarded $2 million in compensatory damages but nothing in punitive damages.

Amber Heard released a statement regarding the verdict

The Aquaman actor was clearly upset at the outcome of the trial. Soon after jurors came to a decision, Heard released a statement to the public.

“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.

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. 

I believe Johnny’s attorneys succeeded in getting the jury to overlook the key issue of Freedom of Speech and ignore evidence that was so conclusive that we won in the UK.

I’m sad I lost this case. But I am sadder still that I seem to have lost a right I thought I had as an American – to speak freely and openly.”

The highly-publicized trial has held the nation’s attention for weeks

Both Heard and Depp sued one another for defamation of character, but Heard’s actions throughout the trial quickly led much of the public to side with Depp. Depp claimed he lost out on millions of dollars due to Heard’s allegations. However, there were three key statements in Heard’s op-ed that Depp centered his case around.

• The headline: “I spoke up against sexual violence — and faced our culture’s wrath. That has to change.”
• Heard wrote, “Then two years ago, I became a public figure representing domestic abuse, and I felt the full force of our culture’s wrath for women who speak out.”
• “I had the rare vantage point of seeing, in real time, how institutions protect men accused of abuse,” she said.

Depp also claimed that Heard constantly instigated fights throughout their marriage, and those fights often led to physical altercations. He said that while there were several instances where Heard stuck him, he never hit her in return.

Stay tuned to Showbiz Cheat Sheet for all your updates on the trial!