Johnny Depp v Amber Heard trial summary 1 June 2022: verdict day
Johnny Depp v Amber Heard trial: verdict given
WATCH: Live footage as jury finds in favour of Depp against Heard
The video below is coverage and reports of the goings on at the courthouse in Fairfax, Virginia, as we await the verdict from the jury.
The seven-person civil jury (five men, two women) has found in favour of Johnny Depp in the high-profile court case against Amber Heard. They found that he was in the right on all three counts brought by Depp's legal team, awarding him $15 million in compensation. Heard's countersuit was successful on one count and she was awarded $2 million.
Follow along live here...
The jury found in favour of the Pirates of the Caribbean star, but the Hollywood actress has plans to have the defamation case reassessed.
With the jury awarding Johnny Depp $15 million in the defamation suit agains ex-wife Amber Heard, there are reports that she may not be able to afford to pay. How can this be possible? Surely, she must have many millions of dollars. Well, maybe not...
Amber Heard speaks of "setback" for women
The very public court case between Amber Heard and Johnny Depp was concluded today with the jury finding that Heard had defamed her ex-husband in describing herself as a victim of domestic abuse. The jury found that she was unable to substantiate her claims, ordering the actress to pay Depp $15 million in compensation. In response to the verdict, Heard described it as "a setback, it sets back the clock."
The high-profile court case between Johnny Depp and Amber Heard concluded on Wednesday when a Virginia jury found that Depp had been defamed by his ex-wife. Heard had authored an op-ed in The Washington Post in 2018 in which she implied that Depp had abused her during their relationship.
Depp’s legal team brought three counts, all of which were found to be valid by the jury and he has been awarded $15 million. Heard’s counter-suit was successful on just one front and she was awarded $2 million in compensation.
Depp celebrates with supporters in the UK
Johnny Depp was not in court today for the verdict in the civil case between himself and Amber Heard. Instead, after finishing testimony last week, the actor flew to the United Kingdom where he has been performing alongside Jeff Beck on stage. After today's verdict was announced he was congratulated by well-wishers in Newscastle, England.
Few actors have earned as much in Hollywood as Johnny Depp and the 58-year-old's bank balance could be looking even healthier in the near future after a court in Virginia ruled that he had been defamed by ex-wife Amber Heard. As part of the ruling, Depp was awarded $15 million in compensation, while Heard’s countersuit was awarded $2 million.
So how much is the Pirates of the Carribean star now worth? We take a look...
Depp releases statement on court ruling
"Six years ago, my life, the life of my children, the lives of those closest to me, and also, the lives of the people who for many, many years have supported and believed in me were forever changed.
All in the blink of an eye.
False, very serious and criminal allegations were levied at me via the media, which triggered an endless barrage of hateful content, although no charges were ever brought against me. It had already traveled around the world twice within a nanosecond and it had a seismic impact on my life and my career.
And six years later, the jury gave me my life back. I am truly humbled."
WATCH: Depp's legal team gives speech after court victory
Camille Vasquez and Benjamin Chew, the two most prominent members of Johnny Depp's legal team, addressed the largely pro-Depp crowd gathered outside the courthouse in Fairfax, Virginia. They thanked the jury and court officials for their work during the seven weeks of argument and said they were pleased that the case had "resonated for so many people."
Johnny Depp's legal team have just delivered a brief speech after the court awarded their client compensatory payments totalling $15 million, having been found in favour of on all three counts. Camille Vazquez appeared on the podium outside the courtroom in Fairfax, Virginia having starred in front of the jury over the past seven weeks.
Read Johnny Depp's statement after court win
The actor Johnny Depp has released a statement celebrating the jury's verdict in his civil court case with ex-wife Amber Heard. The actor was found in favour of on all three counts brought by his team, while Heard was successful in one of her counter-claims.
Depp will receive $15 million in compensation, Heard was awarded $2 million.
Jury finds in favour of Depp's defamation claims
Due to circumstances surrounding the publication of this statement, [the op-ed] conveyed a defamatory implication to someone who saw it other than Mr. Depp? Yes. Do you find that Mr. Depp has proven by clear and convincing evidence that Ms Heard acted with actual malice? Yes.
As against Amber Heard, we the jury award compensatory damages in the amount of $10 million.
As against Amber Heard, we the jury award punitive damages in the amount of $5 million.
Amber Heard releases statement in response to court ruling
After the court found in favour of Johnny Depp on all thre counts brought by his team, Amber Heard has released a statement, citing the "disproportionate power, influence and sway of my ex-husband."
Johny Depp has been awarded $15 million in compensation after being found in favour of on all three counts brought by his legal team against Amber Heard. The court found that Depp was unfairly defamed by Heard in The Washington Post op-ed which described herself as a victim of domestic abuse.
The jury found in favour of Heard on one of her legal team's claims, awarding her $2 million in compensation.
Jury rules that Heard must pay damages of $15 million to Depp
The jury has ruled that Amber Heard must pay compensation worth $10 million and $5 million to Johnny Depp in response to his claims that she had defamed him in the authorship of an op-ed in The Washington Post.
Jury finds in favour of Depp on Counts One and Two
The jury has confirmed that they have found in favour of Johnny Depp on the first two counts by unanimous verdict. They found that she acted with actual malice in the publishing of the op-ed in The Washington Post.
The court is now back in session...
After a brief recess while the jury completed the damages form required for their verdict, everyone is now back in the room and we will hear the verdict from the jury in the next few minutes. All eyes on Fairfax...
Has Johnny Depp won the trial?
We are just minutes away from hearing the verdict from the courtroom, but are facing a slight delay due to the jury's failure to complete the damages form. Have they found for Depp, who did not file for damages from Heard? This could explain why they did not fill in that section, but it could also simply be an oversight. The Judge told jurors that they have to include a damages amount of at least $1, meaning that they have found in favour in one of the parties.
Jurors forgot to fill out the damages form
Crazy scenes from the courtroom in Fairfax as the jurors have been sent out again to complete the compensatory form, having left a section on damages blank. There is now speculation that they did not fill in this section because they have found in favour of Depp, who did not request damages from Heard. However this has not yet been confirmed and we are still none the wiser as to who will be victorious.
The jurors have left the room but should re-enter in the coming minutes.
In the next few minutes the jurors in the case between Johnny Depp and Amber Heard will reenter the court room and a foreperson will read their verdict to the court.
The identity of those won’t be made public for a year. However, Court TV has published a demographic makeup of the individuals in the jury box.
Amber Heard arrives at the courthouse for jury's verdict
Amber Heard, the defendent in the lawsuit brought by Johnny Depp, has arrive at court in Fairfax, Virginia in the last few moments, preparing to hear the jury's verdict in the case. She has also lodged her own countersuit in which she is the plaintiff, suing Depp for harassment. The verdict will be read at 3pm (ET), little more than 10 minutes away.
How to watch the Depp v Heard verdict live
With just half an hour to go until the jury returns its verdict, many are asking 'How can I watch the court case live?'
Right here! The video embedded at the top of this page will give you live footage from the courtroom as the judge reads out the verdict given by the jury. In the next 30 minutes we should see live pictures from Fairfax, Virginia as the high-profile case reaches its conclusion.
What will happen in the Johnny Depp v Amber Heard court trial?
After seven weeks of in-court arguments and days of jury deliberations, we are close to hearing the verdict in the civil court case between Johnny Depp and Amber Heard.
How much will they receive if the jury rules in their favor? What type of verdict will the jury return? Is there any chance of a punishment beyond financial compensation?
Here's everything you need to know...
Depp will not be present for verdict reading
Confirmation here from Angenette Levy of the Law & Crime Channel that Johnny Depp will not be physically present in the court when the judge reads the verdict in the civil case between he and ex-wife Amber Heard. After testimonies concluded last week the actor travelled to the United Kingdom to perform at a Jeff Beck concert.
The verdict is now thought to be just 45 minutes away, and after claiming a $50 million compensation payment you can bet that Depp will be following alone from England.
Depp v Heard verdict expected at 3:00 pm ET
Jurors have reached a verdict in the defamation claims brought by actors Johnny Depp and Amber Heard, the Hollywood stars who have accused each other of abuse before and during their two-year marriage, according to media reports on Wednesday.
The verdict will be read in Fairfax County Circuit Court in Virginia at 3 p.m. ET, Depp, the 58-year-old "Pirates of the Caribbean" star, sued Heard for $50 million and argued that she defamed him when she called herself "a public figure representing domestic abuse" in a newspaper opinion piece.
Heard, 36, countersued for $100 million, saying Depp smeared her when his lawyer called her accusations a "hoax." Depp has denied hitting Heard or any woman and said she was the one who turned violent in their relationship.
Depp and Heard met in 2011 while filming "The Rum Diary" and wed in February 2015. Their divorce was finalized about two years later.
Depp, Heard jury to return Wednesday
Jurors in Virginia will resume deliberations on Wednesday in the multimillion-dollar defamation claims brought by actors Johnny Depp and Amber Heard, the Hollywood stars who have accused each other of abuse before and during their two-year marriage.
The seven-person jury weighed the evidence for about seven hours on Tuesday without reaching a verdict.
Depp, the 58-year-old "Pirates of the Caribbean" star, sued Heard for $50 million and argued that she defamed him when she called herself "a public figure representing domestic abuse" in a newspaper opinion piece.
Heard, 36, countersued for $100 million, saying Depp smeared her when his lawyer called her accusations a "hoax." Depp has denied hitting Heard or any woman and said she was the one who turned violent in their relationship.
Depp and Heard met in 2011 while filming "The Rum Diary" and wed in February 2015. Their divorce was finalized about two years later.
At the center of the legal case is a December 2018 opinion piece by Heard in the Washington Post in which she made the statement about domestic abuse. The article did not mention Depp by name but his lawyer told jurors it was clear that Heard was referring to him.
During deliberations on Tuesday, jurors asked Judge Penney Azcarate if they should consider the entire article or just the headline. The headline said Heard "spoke up against sexual violence - and faced our culture's wrath."
Azcarate said she would tell the jury that the headline was the statement they should consider to reach their verdict.
During six weeks of testimony, Heard's attorneys argued that she had told the truth and that her comments were covered as free speech under the U.S. Constitution's First Amendment.
Throughout the case, jurors listened to recordings of the couple's fights and saw graphic photos of Depp's bloody finger. He said the top of the finger was severed when Heard threw a vodka bottle at him in 2015.
Heard denied injuring Depp's finger and said Depp sexually assaulted her that night with a liquor bottle. She said she struck him only to defend herself or her sister.
Testimony was livestreamed widely on social media, drawing large audiences to hear details about the couple's troubled relationship.
Once among Hollywood's biggest stars, Depp said Heard's allegations cost him "everything." A new "Pirates" movie was put on hold and Depp was replaced in the "Fantastic Beasts" film franchise, a "Harry Potter" spinoff.
Depp lost a libel case less than two years ago against the Sun, after the British tabloid labeled him a "wife beater." A London High Court judge ruled that he had repeatedly assaulted Heard.
Depp's lawyers filed the U.S. case in Fairfax County, Virginia, because the Washington Post is printed there. The newspaper is not a defendant.
Civil court cases, also known as a lawsuit, are primarily about damages and Depp is demanding a fairly substantial payment for what he believes was a misrepresentation of their relationship.
In the court filing, his team requested compensatory damages of “not less than $50 million”. If they decide in his favour, the jurors could order Heard to pay the amount requested, or could recommend that a larger or smaller compensatory payment be made.
One thing that is certainly not on the horizon for either party is the threat of a criminal record or prison time. The case is being Heard in the civil, not the criminal, courts, meaning that there is no possibility of any punishment beyond the compensation.
However that does not mean that the dispute between the former lovers is settled as soon as the jury returns its verdict.
Who is Ben Rottenborn, Heard’s lawyer?
The Depp–Heard trial has garnered a huge amount of interest in recent weeks with two major celebrities battling it out in the courts. Depp sued for defamation, requesting $50 million in compensation, only to be countersued by Heard for $100 million.
During the course of the trial the two lead attorneys have been in the spotlight, and this is the most high-profile case of Ben Rottenborn’s career to date. He joined Wood Rogers, a Virginia-based law firm where he is currently employed as principal attorney, in 2012, and specialised in complex civil litigation matters.
His biography on the firm’s website says that he has extensive experience with cases involving “issues in fiduciary duty, general commercial law, private equity/venture capital, securities, intellectual property, and products liability.”
Waiting on the verdict
The Depp team are in the courtroom this morning, but there are not too many fans around yet.
There is still a big media presence outside the courtroom.
We're waiting on the verdict from the jury, who may have more questions today.
We'll provide more updates as they come in.
The defamation trial between Johnny Depp and his ex-wife Amber Heard, where both mutually blamed the other for causing the loss of work in Hollywood, has wrapped up. The witness testimony over the course of the proceedings painted a less than pretty picture of either actor which could result in hurdles for future employment in Hollywood productions.
Despite a pressure campaign by Depp fans to have Heard cut from the film, she will still play Mera in the upcoming sequel to Aquaman, set for release in March 2023. During testimony at the defamation trial, Walter Hamada, President of DC-based film production, confirmed that the actress was still in Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom.
Closing arguments made on Friday
The Johnny Depp and Amber Heard defamation case came to an end after six weeks on Friday 27 May.
The case began on 11 April in Virginia at the Fairfax County Courthouse.
The trial was due to run over five weeks, however, due to a scheduling conflict, it was put on hold for a week earlier this month.
The identity of the people who will hand down a verdict on the defamation claims won’t be made public for a year. However, Court TV has published a demographic makeup of the individuals in the jury box. The group of seven people is composed of five men and two women, with another man and woman serving as alternates.
According to the observations the jurors, they range in age from people in their twenties to a person in his sixties of varying ethnicities. During jury selection few expressed any prior knowledge of the problematic relationship between the two actors.
Four million sign online petition to remove Amber Heard from Aquaman 2
More than four million people have signed an online petition to remove Amber Heard from the "Aquaman 2" movie on the basis that she has "been exposed" as a domestic abuser, according to the petition's author.
The "Change.org" petition is directed to Studio DC Warner Brothers and DC Entertainment.
Background to the Depp vs Heard trial
Even at this stage there is still so much uncertainty...
Who will the jury rule in favor of? What happens if Depp wins? What happens if Heard wins? And what of the prospect of an appeal or countersuit after the verdict is returned?
Here are a selection of articles that can help your understanding...
Depp lawyers attempt to strike "inappropriate argument"
Yesterday also saw the legal team representing Johnny Depp file a motion to strike part of Amber Heard’s lawyer's closing argument from the record, meaning that it would not be considered by the jurors currently deliberating.
The passage in question saw Heard ask jurors to consider the “message” that ruling for Depp would send to other domestic violence victims.
Depp’s lawyers described it as an “inappropriate argument” in a filing in Fairfax County District Court on Tuesday and asked a judge to instruct the jury to disregard it and to revise the Special Verdict Form.
Jury asked Judge Azcarate question about WaPo op-ed headline
On Tuesday afternoon there was some action in Fairfax County Court as the jurors asked Judge Penny Azcarate a question about Amber Heard's Washington Post op-ed.
Their question related to Finding Instruction C, which covers the headline of the article and whether this statement was false. A reminder that the headline was: "I spoke up against sexual violence - and faced our culture’s wrath. That has to change".
Essentially, the jurors wanted to know whether the entire op-ed must be considered false if the headline is deemed to be false.
Judge Azcarate told them that this is not the case. The instruction focuses only on the headline.
Depp v Heard verdict: "We could be here all week"
Law & Crime Network’s Angenette Levy believes the Depp v Heard jury “could be here all week” as its deliberations continue at Fairfax County Court in Virginia.
“I think you have to keep in mind this is a six-week trial […],” Levy said on Tuesday. “So there’s a lot for them to consider and there’s a lot in the jury instructions for them to consider.”
She continued: “For the most part, jurors take their duty very seriously. They like to go through everything and they want to be fair.
“Maybe we could be here all week - we just don’t know.”
Then again, some commentators think we could have the verdict in the coming hours...
We brought you a summary of key points in the trial earlier but maybe you prefer your intake of courtcase drama in video form.
Lucky for you, my colleague Jennifer Bubel has taken a look back at some of the pivotal moments of the trial and brings you this visual timeline.
Depp v Heard: recommended podcasts
If you’re looking for Depp v Heard podcast recommendations, let us point you in the direction of a couple of shows that have been covering the trial throughout.
Law & Crime Sidebar
The Law & Crime Sidebar podcast has provided daily and weekly recaps on the case, plus bonus episodes such as “What’s up with Johnny Depp and alpacas” and “Top three Amber Heard wins”. You’ll find expert analysis on the case.
Reporting: Depp v Heard
British journalist Nick Wallis has been at Fairfax County Court since day one, bringing daily summaries and analysis of the trial. This includes his ‘park bench interviews’ with a range of people: experts, journalists and spectators.
On Monday we told you about Johnny Depp pitching up on stage to perform at Sheffield City Hall on Sunday in England, while the jury was on recess during their deliberations. Well, he appears to be enjoying getting back out there and was again on stage alongside Jeff Beck, this time at the Royal Albert Hall in west London.
Check out more on this by clicking on the image/title above.
Depp vs Heard trial: final day in court
Friday was the final day of courtroom action in the defamation case between Johnny Depp and Amber Heard, with both sides delivering their closing arguments at the Circuit Court in Fairfax Country, Virginia. If you missed it, you can relive this in the video below.
CONTENT WARNING: The embedded live feed comes direct from inside the courtroom, where strong language and references to content including sex, violence and drug abuse are possible. Discretion is advised.
You're likely reading this because you are one of the many millions of people around the US and the world either keeping an occasional eye on proceedings or, quite possibly, glued to the sordid details on a daily basis waiting for the next revelation.
Well, it has certainly been a case full of some very 'interesting' stories, and here is a selection of the weirdest moments from the Depp v Heard trial.
'No one is going to recover' from Depp-Heard trial
Listen here to the views of some attorneys on the Depp-Heard case. 'Neither party has really shown their damages to the level that you need to win a court case,' one says.
But it's the jury's opinion that counts...
Elon Musk tweets about Depp and Heard
If you've been reading below, you'll know that Elon Musk has been a part of this conversation and over the weekend he took to Twitter (you know, that platform he quite likes) to wish his ex-partner and her former husband a positive future.
"I hope they both move on. At their best, they are each incredible," he tweeted on Saturday.
This was in response to a tweet that said: "My takeaways from Johnny Depp vs Amber Heard trial: 1. Fame is one hell of a drug (for some) 2. Psychiatrists & lawyers come in drastically varying levels of skill 3. Lying to millions of people is something humans are capable of 4. Love can be messy 5. Mega pint of wine."
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On Friday, we watched the lawyers for both parties make their closing arguments, appealing to the jury to find in their client favour.
The judge then sent away the members of the jurors to deliberate, but that would quickly be interrupted with a three-day recess for the Memorial Day holiday weekend, with them returning to continue tomorrow, Tuesday 31 May. It is unclear exactly how long this process will take, possible just a few hours, or it could be that we don’t have a verdict until later in the week.
For those watching on, the question of potential consequences for either actor is front and centre.
Depp-Heard trial: the least civil, civil case
As Alex Triantafilou points out here, there is a massively important distinction in the type of trial that has been played out for is between Johnny Depp and Amber Heard.
How did Elon Musk and Amber Heard first meet?
During the course of the trial, Depp has suggested that Heard began a romantic relationship with Musk before the actors had officially split. However Heard describes the events differently, stating that she became friends with the Tesla CEO after Depp had stood her up at the 2016 Met Gala.
The red carpet event took place in New York City on 2 May, 2016, and Heard and Musk had been invited together as guests of Ralph Lauren. She has claimed that she was unable to check on Depp’s whereabouts because he had thrown her phone out of the window.
“I was standing in line right in front of a gentleman. It was Elon,” Heard told the court. “I didn’t recognise him at first. We started talking and he had reminded me that we had met once before.”
“He seemed like a real gentleman. He was really nice,” she added. “He sat at a nearby table and we got to speaking that night and then eventually became friends.”
Heard and Musk are thought to have dated on and off between 2016 and 2018 and he was named on her witness list for the trial.
In the opening statements for the court case, Heard’s lawyers said that Depp had been “obsessed” with Musk at the time. Carino, who had previously served as agent for both Heard and Depp, testified that Heard was dating Musk at the same time as she was attempting to reconcile with Depp.
She has grabbed quite a bit of media publicity over the weeks but do you know Johnny Depp's lawyer, Camille Vasquez? If not, allow us to provide a little more info. She's an attorney with Brown Rudnick, a major international law firm, has been leading the cross-examination.
According to the firm, her expertise is in “parallel reputation management and crisis communications issues arising from these engagements.” She was hired to form part of Depp’s team based on her experience in “plaintiff-side defamation suits” and contract litigation.
She received her undergraduate degree from the Univeristy of Southern California and her J.D. from Southwestern Law School in 2010.
She was selected to form part of Depp’s team based on her experience representing individuals through defamation suits that arose from ”highly-publicized accusations of criminal conduct.”
Depp v Heard trial: a quick recap
Depp, 58, sued Heard in Virginia for $50 million and argued that she defamed him when she called herself "a public figure representing domestic abuse."
Heard, 36, has countersued for $100 million, saying Depp smeared her when his lawyer called her accusations a "hoax."
Heard wrapped up her testimony on Thursday saying she has been "harassed, humiliated, threatened" on social media since accusing the "Pirates of the Caribbean" star of physical and sexual abuse.
"People want to kill me and they tell me so every day," Heard said. "People want to put my baby in the microwave." Heard adopted a baby girl in July 2021. She said the ongoing harassment was part of Depp's crusade to publicly humiliate her.
Depp admitted to writing in a 2016 text that Heard was "begging for total global humiliation" and "she's gonna get it." He said it was written in anger when he learned she was alleging that he physically abused her.
"He wanted to ruin my career," Heard told the jury. "The threats he made to humiliate me, globally, are being lived out in real time, in front of you ... and the whole world." Depp has denied hitting Heard or any woman and said she was the one who turned violent in their relationship. The pair met in 2011 while filming "The Rum Diary" and wed in February 2015. Their divorce was finalized about two years later.
"No human being is perfect," Depp said on Wednesday. "But I have never in my life committed sexual battery, physical abuse."
(Reuters)
Johnny Depp v Amber Heard trial: welcome
Good morning and welcome to our daily live coverage of the defamation trial between Amber Heard and Johnny Depp on Wednesday 1 June 2022.
That's right, we're now into the month of June and as of last week all the testimonies were listened to, all the evidence presented, and the lawyers for both parties made their closing arguments to the jury, which then went off to deliberate on its verdict.
Yesterday, following the Memorial Day weekend recess, the jury members returned, and we awaited news. That didn't arrive. So, thoughts turn to today being decision day, and we will keep you posted throughout the day of any developments or related news.