“And the truth has set you free”: Instagram reacts to Johnny Depp's post-verdict statement

Johnny Depp vs Amber Heard’s trial finally ended on Wednesday, June 1, 2022, delivering the verdict in favor of the Pirates of the Caribbean actor.

The seven-member jury agreed with all three claims Depp made against Heard in his defamation lawsuit. The case was about the Aquaman actress’ 2018 op-ed, titled “I spoke up against sexual violence — and faced our culture’s wrath. That has to change,” which was featured in The Washington Post.

In his post-verdict statement that he posted on Instagram, Johnny Depp stated that people’s perception of him changed six years ago after the op-ed was published. But the final verdict has given his life back six years later. Fans reacted to his two-page statement.

One Instagram fan wrote:

"And the truth has set you free."

Fans' reaction to Johnny Depp's post-verdict statement (Image via johnnydepp/Instagram)

Although he was not physically present in court, Depp didn’t waste much time posting his statement, thanking his supporters, legal team, and judiciary system.

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Johnny Depp fans and celebrity friends reacted to his Instagram post

Johnny Depp's post-verdict statement mentioned how the op-ed changed his and his children’s life “all in the blink of an eye.” The allegations had a negative impact on his career as well.

It further read:

“And six years later, the jury gave me my life back. I am truly humbled.”

He mentioned in the post that the goal of pursuing this case was to reveal the truth to the world. Depp then expressed his gratitude towards his supporters, the Judge, the jurors, the sheriffs, the court staff, and his legal team.

His post also mentioned:

“I hope that my quest to have the truth be told will have helped others, men or women, who have found themselves in my situation, and that those supporting them never give up. I also hope that the position will now return to innocent until proven guilty, both within the courts and in the media.”

The 58-year-old actor’s Instagram post surpassed 14 million likes and 850K comments within 24 hours.

Take a look at the fans' and celebrities' reactions here:

Fans and celebrities' reactions to Johnny Depp's post-verdict statement (Image via johnnydepp/Instagram)

Apart from fans, his celebrity friends too showed their support by liking or commenting on the post.

Some of them included Naomi Campbell, Jennifer Aniston, Bella Hadid, Zoe Saldana, Emma Roberts, Chase Stokes, Gemma Chan, Ryan Adams, Morgana Robinson, Nicki Bella, Taika Waititi, Riley Keough, Joey King, Ricki Lake, and Amber Heard’s Aquaman co-star Jason Momoa.

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Johnny Depp vs Amber Heard trial verdict

Johnny Depp was awarded $15 million ($10 million in compensatory damages and $5 million in punitive damages) as he won all three of his counts against Amber Heard in the defamation case trial.

Heard lost her first and third counts of claims but won $2 million in compensatory damages for her second count, which was a counterclaim referring to Johnny Depp’s former attorney Adam Waldman. He had made defamatory comments on Heard’s claims.

The verdict was delivered by a seven-member jury in the presence of Judge Penney Azcarate at the Fairfax County Courthouse in Virginia on Wednesday, June 1, 2022. The trial commenced on April 11, 2022.

After the verdict, the Aquaman actress too posted a statement on her social media handle. In the statement, she mentioned:

“The disappointment I feel today is beyond words. I'm heartbroken that the mountain of evidence still was not enough to stand up to the disproportionate power, influence, and sway of my ex-husband.”

It further stated that the verdict became a “setback” for her and that she lost her right to Freedom of Speech. Apart from slamming Depp in her statement, she also called out his lawyer for ignoring “conclusive” evidence that helped her win the case in the UK.

Meanwhile, Depp's lawyers, Camille Vasquez and Benjamin Chew, expressed their gratitude to the jury for listening to the actor's side of the story.