Amber Heard Is ‘Heartbroken’ After Johnny Depp Wins $15 Million in Defamation Case
Amber Heard is stunned after Johnny Depp was awarded $15 million in his defamation case against her.
“The disappointment I feel today is beyond words,” the 36-year-old actress said in a statement to Us Weekly on Wednesday, June 1.
“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.”
The Aquaman actress continued: “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.”
A jury ruled in favor of Depp, 58, on Wednesday, calling for Heard to pay him $10 million in compensatory damages and $5 million in punitive damages.
“It sets back the idea that violence against women is to be taken seriously,” Heard argued in her statement. “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 U.K.”
She concluded: “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.”
Amber Heard was awarded $2 million in the case after the jury found that Depp’s attorney made a defamatory statement about the actress. During the trial, the lawyer claimed that the Texas native’s abuse allegations against his client were a hoax.
Depp, who was not in court on Wednesday, said in a statement to Us via his spokesperson that he is “humbled” after learning that the jury ruled in his favor.
“From the very beginning, the goal of bringing this case was to reveal the truth, regardless of the outcome,” the Pirates of the Caribbean star alleged in this statement.
“Speaking the truth was something that I owed to my children and to all those who have remained steadfast in their support of me. I feel at peace knowing I have finally accomplished that.”
