Johnny Depp verdict summary

On April 11, the weeklong defamation trial kicked off, with Amber Heard and Johnny Depp appearing in court in Fairfax County, Virginia.

In the defence’s opening statement, attorney J. Benjamin Rottenborn reads the entirety of Heard’s Post op-ed to the jury and tells them that the actor exercised her right to free speech.

On April 19, Depp took the stand and testified over four days. Attorneys for Dep laid out evidence of Heard’s alleged abuse, while Heard’s lawyers focused on Depp’s past drug and alcohol use, text messages and recordings, claiming Depp perpetuated the violence.

While on the stand, Depp claimed that Heard would instigate arguments and escalate their feuds. At the end of the four-day testimony, when asked what he had lost due to Heard’s op-ed in the post.

Fast forward, Heard also took the stand for her testimony and painted the picture of a man who oscillated between active addiction and sobriety, which she said made it hard to continue the relationship.

The arguments went on and on with others coming in to testify.

On June 1, the jury reaches a verdict. The jury unanimously found out that Heard defamed Depp, awarding him $5 million in punitive damages and $10 million in compensatory damages.

The jury also awarded Heard, $2 million in compensatory damages in her counterclaim but nothing in punitive damages.