Johnny Depp wins near-total victory in U. S. defamation case against ex-wife Amber Heard

Hollywood superstar Johnny Depp won over $10 million in damages, achieving a commanding victory in a defamation suit against Amber Heard, his actress ex-wife, to end a globally televised six-week trial.

In Virginia, a seven-person jury also ruled for Heard on one counterclaim against Johnny Depp. The film star famous for his role as Captain Jack Sparrow in “The Pirates of the Caribbean” referred to the decision as a vindication, and Amber Heard, his former wife, said she was disappointed with the verdict.

The jurors awarded Depp $15 million in damages from Heard, which the judge reduced to $10.35 million to comply with the state of Virginia’s limits on punitive damages. The panel also ordered Depp to pay Heard $2 million in damages.

Depp, the 58-year-old movie star, sued his ex-wife Heard for $50 million and claimed that she defamed him by calling herself a public figure on behalf of domestic abuse in an opinion piece in the Washington Post.

The jury agreed with Depp’s defamation claims, while the jurors rejected two of Heard’s three counterclaims. The jury concluded she was defamed when one of Depp’s attorneys told a media outlet that Heard staged property damage for the police to see after an alleged fight.

The testimony was livestreamed widely on social media, drawing large audiences to listen to the star couple’s troubled relationship.