Actor Johnny Depp has won his defamation case against his ex-wife Amber Heard. However, he must still pay her $2 million.
On Wednesday, the jury awarded the “City of Lies” actor $15 million in damages concluding the six-week trial. Heard has accused Depp of being physically and sexually abusive, which he has vehemently denied. Instead, he outlined several instances where Heard was abusive to him during their relationship.
Since at least 2018, Heard has positioned herself as a “public figure representing domestic abuse.” The now 36-year-old penned an op-ed piece in the Washington Post claiming to be a survivor who wanted to speak up, though the jury of five men and two women disagreed.
Heard will only be required to pay $10.35 million due to Virginia’s cap on punitive damages. Depp was also ordered to pay Heard $2 million in damages for one portion of her counterclaim surrounding Depp’s lawyer calling her abuse allegations a hoax.
Heard admitted on the stand that she sometimes responded to the alleged abuse with violence but maintained it was only to protect herself. Depp has maintained that Heard would attack him unprovoked, even cutting off the tip of his finger by throwing a bottle at him.
Heard has already stated that she will appeal the verdict.
