Johnny Depp will receive $1 million from Amber Heard. In order to end their protracted legal dispute, in which each party accused the other of domestic violence, Amber Heard will pay Johnny Depp $1 million. The amount is a significant decrease from the $8.35 million she was required to pay earlier this year following a six-week trial in Virginia.
Depp's lawyers declared in a statement that he would donate the funds to a good cause. According to his lawyers, Depp's case was "never about the money." In the past, Heard claimed in her statement that she "lost faith in the American legal system." She added that the settlement allows her to finally "emancipate" herself from their marriage and spares her the hassle of further litigation.
After a contentious six-week trial based on hotly contested allegations of domestic abuse, a Virginia jury found Depp and Heard both liable for defamation but sided more strongly with Johnny Depp. Depp received $10.35 million in damages from the jury, and Heard received $2 million.
Heard announced on Instagram that she was giving up her appeal against the jury's $10 million verdict because she "simply cannot go through" another trial. "After a great deal of deliberation, I have made a very difficult decision to settle the defamation case," she said.
How did Johnny Depp and Amber Heard's legal dispute start?
Depp initially brought a $50 million defamation lawsuit against Heard after she wrote an opinion piece for the Washington Post calling herself a "public figure representing domestic abuse."
Each actor testified at the trial in Fairfax, Virginia, for several days, divulging graphic details about drug use and screaming matches. Their testimony was broadcast live on YouTube and endlessly remixed on Facebook and TikTok. Heard claimed that Depp assaulted her repeatedly, strangled her, and once performed a liquor bottle rape on her. She sobbed a lot while giving her testimony.
Depp, on the other hand, claimed that Heard was the violent one in their relationship and that he always tried to flee whenever she acted out. Each side used selected clips to try to support their claims. The couple had audio recordings of their arguments throughout their marriage.
On three different defamation claims, the seven-person jury were found in Depp's favor, awarding him $10 million in compensatory damages and $5 million in punitive damages. The latter amount was reduced to $350,000 in order to adhere to a statutory cap.
Heard received some solace from the jury's decision in favor of one of her three counterclaims, which held Depp accountable for a statement made by his lawyer in which Heard was charged with committing a "hoax." Depp was required to pay Heard $2 million, leaving Depp with a $8.35 million net judgment in his favor.
Did Amber Heard withdraw her appeal?
After the court's judgment in Depp's favor, Heard filed a notice of appeal, with her attorney citing "errors" made by the court. However, the "Aquaman" actress has now agreed to withdraw her appeal.
Heard made it crystal clear in a post on Instagram announcing her choice that "There are no restrictions or gags with respect to my voice moving forward" and criticizing how the American legal system used her testimony as "entertainment and social media fodder."
She also contrasted the U.S. legal system with the one in the UK, where Depp filed a lawsuit against the British tabloid The Sun in 2020 after it called him a "wife beater" in an article. Heard served as The Sun's lead witness. In that instance, the judge ruled in favor of The Sun and deemed the accusations to be "substantially true."
In a statement, Depp's representatives expressed their satisfaction with the outcome and emphasized that the jury's decision remains valid.
"We are pleased to formally close the door on this painful chapter for Mr. Depp, who made clear throughout this process that his priority was bringing the truth to light," said Johnny’s attorneys, Benjamin Chew and Camille Vasquez. "The jury’s unanimous decision and the resulting judgment in Mr. Depp’s favor against Ms. Heard remain fully in place." “The payment of $1 million, which Mr. Depp is pledging and will actually donate to charities, reinforces Ms. Heard’s acknowledgement of the conclusion of the legal system’s rigorous pursuit of justice."
What is the aftermath of Depp and Amber's legal dispute?
Online public opinion toward Heard was viewed negatively throughout the trial. There was a belief that her testimony was not entirely truthful, and this belief was widely mocked. Heard described the online criticism of her testimony as "agonizing" and claimed that she was "harassed, humiliated, and threatened every single day."
Heard claimed following the trial that because Depp was a "fantastic actor" and "people feel they know him," she did not "blame" the jury for the decision. After "listening to three and a half weeks of testimony about how I was a non-credible person," Heard expressed skepticism about the jury's willingness to accept her testimony.
Heard's attorney, Elaine Bredehoft, informed interviewers the day after the verdict was announced that Heard would appeal the decision because she could not afford to pay the damages owed to Depp.
A month later, Heard was sued in federal court by one of her insurance companies, New York Marine, which claimed that since the "jury's factual findings establish that Heard's liability is caused by the willful act(s) of Heard," New York Marine is "not liable" for the loss. New York Marine was attempting to avoid paying up to $1 million in legal fees in the Virginia case for Heard's defense.
Heard appealed the decision and settled the case against Depp in December 2022. She insisted that the settlement was "not an act of concession." Depp will receive $1 million as part of the settlement, "which Depp is pledging and will donate to charities," according to Depp's attorneys, who also claimed that the jury's verdict in favor of Depp against Heard "remains fully in place."
FAQs
Q. What is the net worth of Johnny Depp?
A. The net worth of Johnny Depp was estimated to be $150 million, as of 2023.
Q. How much does Amber Heard pay to Johnny Depp as per the verdict?
A. As per the verdict, Amber had to pay $1 million to Johnny Depp.
Q. What is the net worth of Amber Heard?
A. The estimated net worth of Amber Heard is $500,000 as of 2023.
