Sentence Delivered In Johnny Depp -Amber Heard Case –

A Virginia jury first ruled in favor of actor Johnny Depp on Wednesday and ruled that the Washington Post editorial, written by his ex-wife Amber Heard, was defamatory.

The jury awarded Depp $ 15 million in total damages, but Judge Penny Azkarat set $ 10 million in accordance with state limits. Minutes later, the jury issued a mixed verdict in Herd’s lawsuit, awarding him $ 2 million in damages for three statements made by Depp’s attorney that he said were defamatory.

Depp was gone, flying to London over the weekend for an unexpected performance, but Herd was seen in the courtroom reading the verdict, staring at the table in front of him.

“The frustration I feel today is beyond words,” he said in a statement. “It is heartbreaking that so much evidence is not yet enough to withstand the disproportionate strength, influence and influence of my ex -husband.”

She called the sentence a “failure” for women, “at a time when a woman who has spoken and spoken can be embarrassed and humiliated in public.”

“This suggests that violence against women should be taken seriously,” she said.

Heard has told the public since 2016 that Depp suffered physical abuse during their relationship, which began on the set of the 2011 film “Rome Diary” and ended in a brief marriage. Depp said he was the one who was insulted and Herd’s accusation led to him losing roles in profitable films.

“Six years later, the jury brought me back into my life,” Depp said in a note posted on Instagram After the verdict. “I’m really humble.”

In court, Depp sought $ 50 million in damages and Heard $ 100 million.

The jury prepared six weeks of arguments and testimony to answer difficult questions about the case, including whether the allegations were “realistically evil” and had a high level of law. Although the identities of the jurors have been sealed, CourtTV – which broadcast a video of the hearing live. Reported From inside the courtroom, the jury consisted of five men and two women, who appeared to be between 20 and 60 years old.

A British court ruled in Herd’s favor in late 2020 after similar questions about the relationship were discovered to be abusive, ruling that the British tabloid Depp’s headline “Beating a Wife” was not destructive- praised for the strength and scope of Herd’s evidence. He was insulted. There was a claim that “This is essentially true”, – said Judge Andrew Nicole in the judgment.

The Washington Post editorial published in 2018 is in the midst of a U.S. lawsuit filed in Fairfax, Virginia State Court.

With the help of lawyers from the American Civil Liberties Union, Herd wrote an article describing himself as a survivor of domestic violence, though it was unclear and did not mention Depp. At work, Hard is referred to as a “public person who represents domestic violence”.

His team described the case as an issue in the first amendment. At the time of his sentencing, Herd said he felt he “lost the right” to think he was “American”.

The civil trial, which has taken place in Virginia since the Washington Post was published there, began in mid-April and saw lengthy testimony from both actors. The march of experts – including a duel of psychiatric professionals trying to diagnose Herd and Depp – along with family members, former friends, colleagues, law enforcement and entertainment industry leaders has completed a list of witnesses.

Depp supporters have confirmed that social media mentions about the trial have been heavily turned in favor of the “Pirates of the Caribbean” star. Who showed a tendency At risk of verbal attacks AND online harassment. Every day outside the courtroom, a crowd of Depp supporters – mostly women – hold homemade signs and revel as his black SUV drives back to the courthouse entrance and shouts reggae music while the actor appeared.

Herd later directed a vitriolic gun online from groups in support of domestic violence survivors who said the show could prevent victims from moving forward.

Depp’s team made a tremendous effort to paint Herd as an attention seeker who fully understood his story. One of his lawyers, Camille Vasquez, who has become a well-known Depp cult star, has repeatedly told the court that Herd is a “liar” who wants the world to “believe his lies.”

Much of the testimony shared at the trial involves conflicting views on a series of violent incidents that will occur during the relationship, such as a private jet trip where Depp knocks and knocks Heard on the ground when he is in outside. He was accused of romance with actor James Franco. Text message Presented in court Indicated that Depp was drinking drugs and alcohol at the time. Later, Depp’s assistant told Herd in a text message that the actor should have been informed of what happened on the plane and he cried at what he heard and promised to correct his behavior. Depp wanted to see Herd in person, according to the assistant’s texts, but decided to book his own flight away from him.

Other documents presented to the court support Herd’s version of events. IO Tillett Wright, the formerly friendly couple, who in 2016 wrote an essay for Refinery29 explaining why he called the police during their argument – “because he never would” – said in testimony court that he saw physical evidence that Depp was a rapist. Some former friends also describe Depp’s removal as someone who may be unstable.

Perhaps the most disturbing episode occurred in March 2015, in the Australian villa that Depp rented in the filming of the fifth part of “Pirates”. The couple got married just a month ago on Depp’s private island.

Herd revealed that for three days Depp had been drinking an unknown amount of drugs and alcohol and getting angry, hung it on the wall, stripped off his nightgown and, on one occasion, sexually assaulted him with a bottle of alcohol. He said he ran to his room and when he came out a few hours later, the house was in a mess.

“I’m scared,” he revealed. “I’ll just marry him.”

Photos of the house released in court show mysterious messages that, as Herd said, were blood from one of Depp’s fingers, which were partially severed. The jury heard two explanations for the injury: Depp said he cut off the tip of his finger when Herd threw a glass bottle, and Herd said he thought it happened while Depp was breaking a landline phone. . The walls, glass and at least one lampshade are exposed to graphite, which is also made of paint.

The incident prompted Disney to suspend production of the film “Pirates” and Depp was sent back to Los Angeles for emergency operations, a costly move for the studio.

Tracey Jacobs, the agent who has represented Depp for 30 years, testifies that the actor has become increasingly troubled on set in the final years of his working relationship, and it seems a few hours later he doesn’t know everything. his line. While creating the fifth “Pirates”, he had to fly to Australia twice to deal with it.

The actor has openly spoken in the past about the fight against drug and alcohol addiction. In his testimony, he described how his life changed significantly with the global success of the “Pirates” franchise, which made it difficult to socialize with children, and that he could easily rely on elements with complex emotions.

However, he refused to describe it as a problem.

“I’m not a maniac who has to be always high or busy,” he told the court.

Not only did Depp not hurt Herd, he testified, he had never touched a woman in his entire life. A traumatic childhood with an abusive mother prevented her from physical violence.

According to Depp, Herd “harassed” him and subjected him to an “embarrassing name”. One of the most popular audio clips from the trial featured Herd, who admitted that he beat up his ex -wife and told her, “Piccolo, you don’t punch.” It hit me. ”Herd confirmed that he opposes Depp’s alleged tendency to use excessive speech for dramatic effects.

Depp said he just distanced himself from their arguments.

But his ex -wife described the cycle in which Depp became agitated and lost – perhaps on the stalk – until he reappeared, more sober and determined not to misbehave. Text messages and e-mails read by the court revealed numerous references to Depp being the “Monster”. A term for his part that is likely to come up when he is drunk, high or both. In his messages, he repeatedly apologized.

Herd told the jury at one point that he stayed with Depp because he can be very attractive when he is sober and believes he can change. The researchers found that one of the most common patterns in abusive relationships is partner alternation between violence, apology and pleasant behavior.

Depp’s lawyers, however, accused Herd of outright forgery, which went so far as to tarnish Depp’s reputation for his many years of conspiring to his financial gain, suggesting that Heard may have manipulated the digital photos with bruises on his face. Instead of looking like a victim of domestic violence, Herd published “mild, exaggerated and fascinating reports of violence” and allowed the court to “realize his life,” Vasquez said.

Herd’s lawyer Benjamin Rothenbourne used his concluding statements to describe Depp’s arguments as highly damaging: “The victim’s accusation is the most outrageous.”

“If you don’t take a picture, it won’t happen. “If you take pictures, they’re fake,” Rottenborn said of Depp.

“They’re trying to trick you,” he told the court, “into believing that Amber has to be perfect to win.”