A verdict has been reached in Johnny Depp and Amber Heard's defamation trial in Virginia, largely in Depp's favour.
Heard must pay Depp a total of $US15 million ($20.8 million) in damages, the jury decided.
But as a result of her counterclaims, the jury said Depp must pay Heard $US2 million ($2.78 million).
READ MORE: Johnny Depp celebrates successful verdict against Amber Heard
READ MORE: Amber Heard says she's 'heartbroken' by verdict in defamation trial
The jury unanimously found that Depp was defamed by Heard's op-ed titled, "I spoke up against sexual violence – and faced our culture's wrath. That has to change".
They found the op-ed was about Depp despite him not being named in the piece, which read: "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."
The jury also agreed that Heard acted with malice.
The jury also said Heard made a defamatory statement when she said, "I had the rare vantage point of seeing, in real time, how institutions protect men accused of abuse."
The jury then also addressed Heard's countersuit, and supported one of her claims of defamation.
READ MORE: Key moments in the Johnny Depp and Amber Heard defamation trial
In total, Heard was found to have been defamatory to Depp in all three of his claims, but Depp was only found to be defamatory in one of Heard's three counterclaims.
There was a final small drama in the court when the seven-person jury said arrived to announce their unanimous verdict, but were sent away by Judge Penney Azcarate, who asked for more detail.
The verdict was read out in the Virginia courtroom about 3.20pm on Wednesday (5.20am on Thursday AEST) but prior, after they first reached a decision, the judge asked for them to leave the court and fill out a form. They had been deliberating for more than 12 hours over three days.
Heard was present in the courtroom, and showed little to no reaction as the verdict was read out.
Depp was not inside the courtroom for the verdict, having played at the Royal Albert Hall in London on Tuesday night alongside Jeff Beck, his second performance this week.
Depp's awarded damages total to $US15 million (approx. $20.8 million), but are comprised of $US10 million (approx. $14 million) in compensatory damages and $US5 million (approx. $7 million) in punitive damages.
Under state law in Virginia, however, the maximum amount of punitive damages that can be paid is $US350,000 (approx. $490,000), which means Depp's ultimate monetary award is $US10.35 million (approx. $14.4 million).
What you need to know about the case
Depp and Heard met in 2011 while filming The Rum Diary and married in February 2015. Their divorce was finalised about two years later.
Depp, 58, sued Heard in Virginia in the United States for $US50 million ($69.7 million) and argued that she defamed him when she called herself "a public figure representing domestic abuse" in an opinion piece in the Washington Post.
He was not mentioned by name in the piece, but Depp's lawyers argued that it was clear she was referring to Depp, given that she had publicly accused him of domestic violence during their 2016 divorce proceedings.
Heard's lawyers said most of the article focused on public policy on domestic violence and that she had a First Amendment right to weigh in on that subject. They also maintained that Depp did in fact abuse Heard. Depp has denied all accusations of abuse.
Heard, 36, countersued for $US100 million ($139.4 million), saying Depp smeared her when his lawyer called her accusations a "hoax".
READ MORE: What the jury had to consider in the Depp-Heard defamation trial
Jurors and audiences worldwide have listened to recordings of the couple's fights, heard explicit and disturbing claims from both sides, and seen graphic photos, including one of Depp's bloody finger, and a social media storm has closely followed each day in court.
After closing arguments on May 27, Judge Azcarate handed the case over to the seven-person jury.
"You must not base your verdict in any way on sympathy, bias guesswork, or speculation," Judge Azcarate told jurors.
"Your verdict must be based solely upon the evidence and instructions of the court. Your verdict must be based on the facts as you find them and on the law that you find in all of these instructions."
The Washington Post was not a defendant in the trial. Depp also previously lost a libel case in the United Kingdom, which was against The Sun for calling him a "wife-beater."
If you or someone you know is impacted by sexual assault, domestic or family violence, call 1800RESPECT on 1800 737 732 or visit their website. In an emergency, call 000.
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Title: Jury delivers verdict in Johnny Depp and Amber Heard's defamation trial, unanimously found in Depp's favour
Sourced From: celebrity.nine.com.au/latest/johnny-depp-amber-heard-verdict-in-defamation-trial/1724a6bb-567f-4b92-9bdf-1dd898c7ad59
Published Date: Wed, 01 Jun 2022 19:06:00 GMT
