Actor Johnny Depp has issued a statement after winning his defamation trial against ex-wife Amber Heard. Depp and Heard were married in 2015 after meeting on the set of The Rum Diary in 2011. Heard filed for divorce in 2016 and later penned an op-ed for The Washington Post claiming that Depp was abusive in their relationship, although not naming him specifically in the article. The UK tabloid The Sun later ran an article calling Depp a “wife-beater,” which prompted the actor to sue them for libel. Depp lost that trail, which was a significant setback and prompted him to sue Heard directly for defamation.
Since his legal troubles began, Depp has cited the loss of multiple roles as a result of being defamed by Heard, including the part of Grindelwald in the Fantastic Beasts franchise, as well as the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise, which he claims would have paid out $20 million for a sixth film in the series. Heard said that her legal troubles with Depp cost her a scaled-back role in Aquaman 2, although DC Films head Walter Hamada testified that was not the case for her diminished role in the sequel. Since April, the trial has been ongoing and reached a verdict on Wednesday, June 1st.
The jury ruled in favor of Depp, awarding him more than $10 million in damages, while also ruling in favor of Heard being defamed by a lawyer for Depp, who accused the actress of roughing up an apartment to look worse for police. Heard was awarded $2 million in damages, while Depp should receive $10 million in punitive damages and $5 million in compensatory damages. Depp, now vindicated by the outcome, issued a statement (via Variety) saying he was “humbled” by the jury’s verdict, saying they gave him back his life. The actor says that the goal of the case was to “reveal the truth” and says he is “at peace” knowing he has accomplished that. Read the complete statement below:
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.
My decision to pursue this case, knowing very well the height of the legal hurdles that I would be facing and the inevitable, worldwide spectacle into my life, was only made after considerable thought.
From the very beginning, the goal of bringing this case was to reveal the truth, regardless of the outcome. 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.
I am, and have been, overwhelmed by the outpouring of love and the colossal support and kindness from around the world. I hope that my quest to have the truth be told will have helped others, men or women, who have found themselves in my situation, and that those supporting them never give up. I also hope that the position will now return to innocent until proven guilty, both within the courts and in the media.
I wish to acknowledge the noble work of the Judge, the jurors, the court staff and the Sheriffs who have sacrificed their own time to get to this point, and to my diligent and unwavering legal team who did an extraordinary job in helping me to share the truth.
The best is yet to come and a new chapter has finally begun.
Veritas numquam perit.
Truth never perishes.
Depp’s recent projects include voiceover work for the animated series Puffins, but he has not appeared in a live-action starring role in 2020’s Minimata. His last appearance as The Wizarding World villain Grindelwald was in 2018’s Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald, a part that went to Mads Mikkelsen for the latest entry in the series, Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore, which was recently released to lackluster box office and critical appeal. Depp’s next live-action role will be as Louis XV in director Maïwenn’s period piece Jeanne du Barry.
Both Depp and Heard could face a difficult road back after this long, very public trial, although it may well work out in their favor as well. The highly-publicized trial played out like a courtroom drama for many onlookers and certainly captured the attention of the masses, making it a newsworthy airing of the two celebrities’ personal lives, for better or worse. Hollywood is often quick to capitalize on that kind of publicity, so it could actually help the actors get back to work sooner than later and perhaps better than ever. Truth can be stranger than fiction, especially in Tinseltown.
