Johnny Depp vs. Amber Heard - The tumultuous trial that revealed scandalous details about the stars' lives together ended on Friday (May 27). More than one or two celebrities were mentioned in it, top model Kate Moss even testified in court. After the jury resumed deliberations on Tuesday (May 31), they reached a verdict. What does this mean for Johnny Depp? But first, let's quickly recap why the actor filed a $50 million lawsuit against his ex-wife in the first place.
Johnny Depp vs. Amber Heard: How did the mudslinging happen?
Depp filed a lawsuit against his ex-wife for writing an opinion piece in the Washington Post in 2018 in which she described herself as a public figure who advocates for domestic violence. Depp, who is seeking $50 million, claims the article damaged his reputation and career, although Heard did not name him because she was referring to the period of the previous two years when she wrote theDivorce from Hollywood starand had applied for an injunction - Depp has denied all allegations of abuse.
Heard then sued Depp for $100 million after his lawyer Adam Waldman said in three press statements that her claims were false.
Violence, lies and a career end: That is the reason for Depp's accusation!
Depp's lawyers claim that Heard abused him, not the other way around. To prove this, they produced a number of witnesses who knew the couple and claimed to never have seen any injuries on Heard. They played various recordings in which Heard mocked and insulted Depp. The actor said that when Heard made her claims, people in the entertainment industry began to think he was a "fraud" and that in doing so she destroyed his career, costing him "everything".
A toxic relationship: That is the core of Heard's allegations
Heard alleges that Depp repeatedly physically and sexually abused her, which was made worse when he drank heavily and took drugs, particularly cocaine and MDMA. The defense called several witnesses who testified that they saw Depp in various states of intoxication. Most of them said they didn't see thatDepp Heard hit, but they had observed him becoming jealous and angry on several occasions. Heard also says she has lost career opportunities following several comments made by Depp's lawyers Adam Waldman to the media, claiming her claims were false.
Johnny Depp won the trial against Amber Heard - what's next?
After weeks of explosive testimony in the courtroom in Fairfax, Virginia, the verdict has been reached. Jurors have said that Amber Heard slandered Johnny in her allegations and that the Aquaman star acted with "actual malice" in her claims. They awarded Johnny $10 million in compensation. Added to this were $5 million in penalty costs, so Johnny was awarded a total of $15 million.
There was a partial victory for Amber, however, as the jury awarded her $2 million after finding that Johnny had defamed her through his lawyer, Adam Waldman. Amber was present for the dramatic moment, but Johnny wasn't there as he was performing at a rock concert in the UK.
It is important to know that despite her conviction for defamation, she will not go to prison because it is a civil case and not a criminal case.
Will Johnny Depp return for Pirates of the Caribbean 6?
However, one question still remains unanswered: what will happen next for the two stars in terms of their careers. Depp has already confirmed that he doesn't want to return for Pirates of the Caribbean 6. For the producers, however, the actor's return in the future cannot be ruled out. Instead, this time there will be a main heroine, played by Australian actress Margot Robbie.
You can find out more about Johnny and Amber's storyfind out here!
