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Amber Heard Breaks Silence After Losing in Johnny Depp Defamation Trial: ‘I’m Disappointed Beyond Words’
Amber Heard is speaking out about ex-husband Johnny Depp‘s victory in his defamation suit against the actress on Wednesday, June 1.
“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,” Amber wrote in a statement via Instagram mere minutes after the jury’s verdict was read.
“I’m even more disappointed with what this verdict means for other women. It is a setback. It sets back the clock to a time when a woman who spoke up and spoke out could be publicly shamed and humiliated. It sets back the idea that violence against women is to be taken seriously,” she continued.
“I believe Johnny’s attorneys succeeded in getting the jury to overlook the key issue of Freedom of Speech and ignore evidence that was so conclusive that we won in the U.K. I’m sad I lost this case. But I am sadder still that I seem to have lost a right I thought I had as an American — to speak freely and openly,” Amber concluded.
Johnny sued Amber for $50 million over a 2018 Washington Post op-ed penned by the Aquaman star where she described herself as “a public figure representing domestic abuse.” Amber claimed Johnny had been physical with her during their marriage following the pair’s split in 2016. She countersued Johnny for $100 million in a trial that spanned six weeks and riveted viewers thanks to the bombshell claims made by both Hollywood stars.
The jury ordered Amber to pay $15 million in damages to her ex-husband. They found Johnny’s attorney had made one defamatory statement against Heard, for which, the jury awarded her $2 million.
Johnny — who was in London and not present in the courtroom for the jury’s verdict — released a statement following his victory.
“Six years ago, my life, the life of my children, the lives of those closest to me, and also, the lives of the people who for many, many years have supported and believed in me were forever changed. All in the blink of an eye. False, very serious and criminal allegations were levied at me via the media, which triggered an endless barrage of hateful content, although no charges were ever brought against me. It had already traveled around the world twice within a nanosecond and it had a seismic impact on my life and my career. And six years later, the jury gave me my life back,” he wrote.
“The best is yet to come, and a new chapter has finally begun,” the Pirates of the Caribbean star added, noting, “Truth never perishes.”
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