Fairfax, Virginia .- With a jury of 7 people in the city of Fairfax in the US state of Virginia, the deliberation was held that gave Johnny Depp victory against Amber Heard after several weeks of the marathon trial, which may be the most mediatic, televised and with the most audience in the history of the American judicial system.

Both because of the plaintiffs (Amber Heard countersued Depp), and because of the nature of Mr. Depp’s lawsuit, who was able to show that he was defamed by his ex-wife and cleared his name in society, a reputation that was tarnished by almost a decade of rumors and statements from the Heard that climaxed in an opinion piece she published in 2018 in which she clearly indicated that she had been physically abused by Depp, whom she described but did not directly name.

The jury’s opinion

As for this statement that appears in the online op-ed titled Amber Heard: I have spoken out against sexual violence, and faced the wrath of our culture. That needs to change in the online edition of the Washington Post to “Spoke out against sexual violence and faced the wrath of our culture.”

The questions that the jury had to answer to decide were the following:

Does the jury believe that Mr. Depp has shown all the elements of libel?
The answer is yes

Has Mr. Depp proved that the statement was made by Ms. Heard?
The answer is yes

Was the statement about Mr. Depp?
The answer is yes

Was the statement false?
The answer is yes

Do you have a defamatory implication about mr. Depp?
The answer is yes

Was the defamation designed and intended by Ms. Heard?
The answer is yes

Due to the circumstances surrounding the release of the statement, did he convey a defamatory implication to anyone who saw it other than mr. Depp?
The answer is yes

Do you think that Mr. Depp has shown with clear and convincing evidence that Ms. Heard acted with genuine malice?
The answer is yes

In statements by the artist upon learning of the decision, Johnny Depp stated: “The jury has given me my life back. I am truly overwhelmed.”

The ruling forces Amber Heard to pay $15 million in damages to Depp for maliciously defaming him and damaging his reputation, while Heard will receive $2 million for being defamed by Depp’s art manager.

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