JOHNNY DEPP WINS! Jury delivers actor a staggering $15 million victory, but Heard gets $2 million

While Heard was present in court, Depp, who is currently in the UK, was absent for the reading of the verdict.

UPDATED JUN 1, 2022

The jury has ruled that Amber Heard must pay compensation worth $10 million and $5 million to Johnny Depp (Twitter)

The verdict is in and the jury has found that Amber Heard's Washington Post op-ed indeed defamed Johnny Depp and awarded the actor a total of $15 million. The jury also did find that the statements made by Adam Waldman to the Daily Mail in 2020 were defamatory and awarded her $2 million but most noticeably, no punitive damages.

While Heard was present in court, Depp, who is currently in the UK, was absent for the reading of the verdict. Heard's legal team released a snarky statement ahead of the verdict: "Your [Amber Heard's] presence shows where your priorities are. Johnny Depp plays guitar in the UK while Amber Heard waits for a verdict in Virginia. Depp is taking his snickering and lack of seriousness on tour.'

Over the last few weeks former husband and wife Johnny Depp, 58, and Amber Heard, 36, have been embroiled in legal tussle that has captivated audiences around the world – for better or worse. Dirty laundry has been aired and skeletons yanked kicking and screaming out of closets, and while neither party has emerged unscathed – in fact both have been left muddied by the muck wantonly thrown around – Depp seems to have been buoyed by the outpouring of support from friends and fans alike. Amber Heard, however, bore the full brunt of outraged Depp fans online for reasons both invented and real.

The $50 million defamation suit hinged on a 2018 op-ed in the Washington Post written by Heard in which she claimed to be a victim of domestic abuse. While she did not name Johnny Depp in the piece, the 'Pirates of the Caribbean' star's legal team has argued that it implied Depp was the abuser and that this damaged his career. Heard countersued for $100 million saying Depp assaulted her on numerous occasions during their relationship.

The seven-member jury heard closing arguments on Friday, May 27 before deliberating for about two hours before adjourning for the long Memorial Day weekend. They then deliberated for another seven hours on Tuesday at the Fairfax County Circuit Court.

The 42-part questionnaire the jury decided on

Mr. Depp's Claim Against Ms. Heard
This special verdict form includes each of the statements on which John C. Depp, II, bases his claim of defamation against Amber Heard. Answer the questions in accordance with the Court's instructions.
1. As to this statement appearing in the online op-ed, entitled "Amber Heard: I spoke
up against sexual violence and faced our culture's wrath. That has to change" in the Washington
Post's online edition:
"I spoke up against sexual violence and faced our culture's wrath. That has to change."

1(a). Do you find that Mr. Depp has proven all the elements of defamation?
ANSWER YES OR NO:

If you answer question 1(a) "NO," please proceed to question 2.

If you answered "YES," please answer YES or NO to the following
questions:

Has Mr. Depp proven by a greater weight of the evidence that:
The statement was made or published by Ms. Heard?
The statement was about Mr. Depp?
The statement was false?
The statement has a defamatory implication about Mr. Depp?
The defamatory implication was designed and intended by Ms. Heard?
Due to circumstances surrounding the publication of the statement, it conveyed a defamatory implication to someone who saw it other than Mr. Depp?

1(b). If you answered "YES" to each subpart of question 1(a), answer the following question: do you find that Mr. Depp has proven by clear and convincing evidence that Ms. Heard acted with actual malice?
ANSWER YES OR NO:

2. As to this statement appearing in the op-ed entitled "A Transformative Moment For Women" in the Washington Post's print edition and the online op-ed "Amber Heard. I spoke up against sexual violence--and faced our culture's wrath. That has to change in the Washington Post's online edition:
"Then two years ago, I became a public figure representing domestic abuse, and I felt the full force of our culture's wrath for women who speak out."

2(a). Do you find that Mr. Depp has proven all the elements of defamation?
ANSWER YES OR NO: If you answer question 2(a) “NO," please proceed to question 3.
If you answered "YES," please answer YES or NO to the following questions:

2(b). If you answered "YES" to each subpart of question 2(a), answer the following question:

Do you find that Mr. Depp has proven by clear and convincing evidence that Ms. Heard acted with actual malice?
ANSWER YES OR NO:

3. As to this statement appearing in the op-ed entitled "A Transformative Moment For Women" in the Washington Post's print edition and the online op-ed "Amber Heard: I spoke up against sexual violence and faced our culture's wrath. That has to change in the Washington Post's online edition:
"I had the rare vantage point of seeing, in real time, how institutions protect men accused of abuse."

3(a). Do you find that Mr. Depp has proven all the elements of defamation?
ANSWER YES OR NO: If you answer question 3(a) "NO," please proceed to question 4.
If you answered "YES," please answer YES or NO to the following questions:

3(b). If you answered "YES" to each subpart of question 3(a), answer the following question: do you find that Mr. Depp has proven by clear and convincing evidence that Ms. Heard acted with actual malice?
ANSWER YES OR NO:

Complete Questions 4-5 ONLY if you answered YES to all of questions 1, 2, or 3.
4. As against Amber Heard, state the amount of compensatory damages, if any, you believe John C. Depp, II has proven, by a greater weight of the evidence, that he is entitled to recover:
We, the Jury, award compensatory damages in the amount of $ XXX
As against Amber Heard state the amount of punitive damages, if any, to which you find John C. Depp, II is entitled to recover:
We, the Jury, award punitive damages in the amount of $ XXX

SPECIAL VERDICT FORM
Ms. Heard's Claim Against Mr. Depp
This special verdict form includes each of the statements on which Amber Heard bases her claim of defamation against John C. Depp, II. Answer the questions in accordance with the Court's instructions.
1. As to this statement appearing in the April 8, 2020 online edition of The Daily Mail:
"Amber Heard and her friends in the media use fake sexual violence allegations as both a sword and shield, depending on their needs. They have selected some of her sexual violence hoax 'facts as the sword, inflicting them on the public and Mr. Depp."

1(a). Do you find that Ms. Heard has proven all the elements of defamation? ANSWER YES OR NO: If you answer question 1(a) "NO," please proceed to question 2.
If you answered "YES," please answer YES or NO to the following questions:

Has Ms. Heard proven by a greater weight of the evidence that:
Mr. Waldman, while acting as an agent for Mr. Depp, made or published the statement?
The statement was about Ms. Heard?
The statement was seen by someone other than Ms. Heard?
The statement was false?

1(b). If you answered "YES" to each subpart of question 1(a), answer the following question: do you find that Ms. Heard has proven by clear and convincing evidence that the statement by Mr. Waldman was made with actual malice?

ANSWER YES OR NO: 2. As to this statement appearing in the April 27, 2020 online edition of The Daily Mail:
“Quite simply this was an ambush, a hoax. They set Mr. Depp up by calling the cops but the first attempt didn't do the trick. The officers came to the penthouses, thoroughly searched and interviewed, and left after seeing no damage to face or property. So Amber and her friends spilled a little wine and roughed the place up, got their stories straight under the direction of a lawyer and publicist, and then placed a second call to 911."

2(a). Do you find that Ms. Heard has proven all the elements of defamation?
ANSWER YES OR NO: If you answer question 2(a) "NO," please proceed to question 2.
If you answered "YES," please answer YES or NO to the following questions:

2(b). If you answered "YES" to each subpart of question 2(a), answer the following question: do you find that Ms. Heard has proven by clear and convincing evidence that the statement by Mr. Waldman was made with actual malice?

ANSWER YES OR NO:
3. As to this statement appearing in the April 27, 2020 online edition of The Daily Mail:
"We have reached the beginning of the end of Ms. Heard's abuse hoax against Johnny Depp."

3(a). Do you find that Ms. Heard has proven all the elements of defamation?
ANSWER YES OR NO: If you answer question 3(a) “NO," please proceed to question 4.
If you answered "YES," please answer YES or NO to the following questions:

3(b). If you answered "YES" to each subpart of question 3(a), answer the following question: do you find that Ms. Heard has proven by clear and convincing evidence that the statement by Mr. Waldman was made with actual malice?

ANSWER YES OR NO

Complete Questions 4-5 ONLY if you answered YES to all of questions 1, 2, or 3.
As against John C. Depp, II, state the amount of compensatory damages, if any, you believe Amber Heard has proven, by a greater weight of the evidence, that she is entitled to recover:
We, the Jury, award compensatory damages in the amount of $XXX
As against John C. Depp, II, state the amount of punitive damages, if any, you to which you find Amber Heard is entitled to recover:
We, the Jury, award punitive damages in the amount of $XXX