Keith Mack
Johnny Depp won his defamation case against his ex-wife, Amber Heard, in 2022. The jury awarded Depp $10 million in compensatory damages and $5 million in punitive damages, which the judge reduced to $350,000. Heard won one point in her countersuit, and each party was found to have defamed the other. The trial lasted six weeks and was live-streamed, attracting very high viewing figures and widespread attention on social media.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Outcome of Johnny Depp's law case | Johnny Depp won his defamation case against Amber Heard in 2022 |
| Amber Heard's outcome | Amber Heard won one point in her countersuit |
| Case name | Depp v. Heard |
| Location | Virginia, US |
| Jurors | Seven |
| Damages awarded to Depp | $10 million compensatory, $5 million punitive (reduced to $350,000) |
| Damages awarded to Heard | Not specified |
| Reason for Depp's win | Heard's testimony had inconsistencies; Depp's legal team was stronger and brought forth more convincing witnesses and evidence |
| Reason for Heard's win | Depp's lawyer accused Heard of a hoax when the jury didn't find her abuse claims credible |
| Previous case outcome | Depp lost a libel case in the UK against The Sun newspaper in 2020 |
| Reason for previous case outcome | The UK trial was before a judge only, while the US trial was before a jury |
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What You'll Learn
Johnny Depp wins defamation case against Amber Heard
Johnny Depp has won his defamation case against his ex-wife, Amber Heard, with a jury awarding him $10 million in compensatory damages and $5 million in punitive damages, reduced to $350,000 due to statutory caps. The case was brought about after Heard wrote an op-ed in The Washington Post in 2018, in which she claimed she was a victim of domestic abuse, without explicitly naming Depp.
This trial was highly publicised, with very high viewing figures and video clips being widely shared on social media. The decision to allow livestreaming was criticised by some, who believed it would discourage victims of domestic violence from speaking out. However, the trial also brought to light the issue of male victims of intimate partner violence.
The trial lasted six weeks and included testimonies about substance abuse, violent text messages, and explosive arguments, including an incident in Australia in 2015, where Depp lost part of his finger. Depp's lawyers argued that he had a history of substance abuse but had been triggered by Heard, and that she was the abusive partner. Heard's lawyers argued that Depp had sent violent messages and that he had sexually assaulted her.
Legal experts were surprised by the verdict, as Depp had previously lost a similar libel case in the UK against The Sun newspaper, which had called him a "wife-beater". It was believed that Depp had a smaller chance of winning in the US due to strong free speech protections. However, the jury in the US trial found that Heard had defamed Depp and that her testimony was inconsistent.
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Heard wins one point in countersuit
In 2022, Johnny Depp won his defamation case against his ex-wife Amber Heard. The jury found that Heard had defamed Depp in three statements in a 2018 op-ed she wrote about abuse in The Washington Post. Heard did not mention Depp by name in the article, but Depp's lawyers argued that the piece referred to prior allegations she had made against him in 2016.
Heard filed a $100 million countersuit for defamation against Depp, claiming that statements made by Depp's lawyer, Adam Waldman, calling her allegations a hoax, were defamatory. The jury found that Waldman had lied when he said that Heard and her friends set Depp up and perpetuated a hoax when they called the LAPD to the apartment. Heard won $2 million in damages on this point.
The trial lasted six weeks and was live-streamed, with very high viewing figures and video clips being widely shared on social media. The fact that the trial was televised was criticised by some observers, who expressed concern that it would discourage victims of domestic violence from speaking out.
Despite Depp's victory, the outcome of the trial was described as inconsistent by attorney Lisa Bloom, as it resulted in both Depp and Heard winning at least one count each.
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Depp lost a UK libel lawsuit against The Sun
Johnny Depp lost a UK libel lawsuit against The Sun regarding an article that labelled him a "wife beater". The article in question, published on 27 April 2018, questioned how J.K. Rowling could be "'genuinely happy' casting wife beater Johnny Depp in the new Fantastic Beasts film?".
The Sun's publisher, Rupert Murdoch's News Group Newspapers, claimed that Depp was "controlling and verbally and physically abusive towards" his ex-wife Amber Heard, particularly when he was under the influence of alcohol or drugs. Depp's lawyer, David Sherborne, stated that the case was about "clearing his name".
The trial, heard over 16 days in July 2020 at the Royal Courts of Justice in London, included evidence from Depp, Heard, friends and relatives of the former couple, and several former and current employees. Mr Justice Nicol, the judge presiding over the case, found 12 of the 14 alleged incidents of domestic violence had occurred, stating that Heard was the victim of "sustained and multiple assaults by Mr Depp". He also acknowledged the depth of Depp's rage, noting that the actor had admitted to scrawling graffiti in his own blood and then, when that was insufficient, dipping his injured finger in paint to continue writing messages.
Depp's lawyer described the ruling as "perverse", and the actor intended to appeal. A spokesperson for The Sun thanked Heard for "her courage in giving evidence" and stated that the newspaper had stood up for domestic abuse victims for decades.
The case was considered a rarity, as the UK has a reputation for favouring libel claimants over publishers. Changes to libel laws in 2013 have since incentivised publishers to settle before cases reach the court.
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Heard's testimony had inconsistencies
Johnny Depp won his defamation case against Amber Heard in 2022. The case was in response to an op-ed published by Heard in The Washington Post in 2018, in which she referred to herself as a public figure representing domestic abuse.
During the trial, Depp's lawyers argued that Heard was lying and used a common defence tactic in sexual assault and domestic violence trials called "deny, attack, and reverse victim and offender" or "Darvo". This strategy shifts the conversation away from whether the accused committed abuse to whether the alleged victim is believable.
Additionally, an anonymous juror from the trial stated that Heard's testimony "didn't come across as believable". They attributed this in part to the fact that she had been given bad advice by her legal team. As a result of these inconsistencies and the overall manner of her testimony, legal experts have opined that the jury's verdict may have been influenced against her.
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Depp's legal team used the 'DARVO' tactic
Johnny Depp won his defamation case against his ex-wife, Amber Heard, in 2022. Heard had labelled herself a victim of domestic abuse in a Washington Post opinion article, which Depp's legal team argued was a reference to him.
In both the UK and US trials, Depp's lawyers argued that Heard was lying. They attacked her character and claimed that she was the abusive partner. This is a common defence tactic in sexual assault and domestic violence trials called "deny, attack, and reverse victim and offender" or "DARVO". This strategy shifts the conversation away from whether the accused committed abuse to whether the alleged victim is believable.
DARVO stands for Deny, Attack, and Reverse Victim and Offender. This is a reaction that perpetrators of wrongdoing may display when confronted with their actions. They deny the behaviour, attack the individual doing the confronting, and reverse the roles of the victim and offender. This results in the perpetrator assuming the victim role, and the true victim being turned into an alleged offender.
It is difficult to determine who is engaging in DARVO tactics, and experts cannot seem to agree. However, some sources state that Depp used this exact tactic against Heard.
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Frequently asked questions
Yes, Johnny Depp won his defamation case against his ex-wife Amber Heard in 2022.
Yes, Heard won one point in her countersuit against Depp.
The jury found in favour of Depp and awarded him $10 million in compensatory damages and $5 million in punitive damages (reduced to $350,000 due to statutory caps). Heard was awarded $2 million in compensatory damages for her countersuit claim.
Depp sued Heard for defamation after she wrote an op-ed in The Washington Post in 2018 about abuse, without explicitly naming Depp.
No, Depp lost his libel case against The Sun in 2020. The court ruled in favour of The Sun, stating that their allegations against Depp were "substantially true".
