'Very serious and criminal allegations were levied at me via the media'

A Virginia jury has found that actress Amber Heard defamed Hollywood star Johnny Depp when she wrote a 2018 Washington Post oped alluding to her past claims of domestic violence reports VarietyThe jury also found that Depp defamed Heard through his attorney in the course of fighting back against her chargesIt awarded Depp 10 million in compensatory damages plus 5 million in punitive damages which Judge Penney Azcarate reduced to 350000 in accordance with the states statutory capDepp has now shared a note on Instagram after the verdict and said that the best is yet to come and thanked people for the outpouring of loveView this post on InstagramA post shared by Johnny Depp johnnydeppHeard was awarded 2 million in compensatory damages for her counterclaimThe jury five men and two women who have been deliberating on their verdict since this past Friday also found that Heard had acted with actual malice meaning that they were convinced she had made the statements knowing they were false according to VarietyResponding to the verdict from the United Kingdom where he has been attending concerts Depp said Heards false claims had a seismic impact on my life and my careerHe said And six years later the jury gave me my life back I am truly humbledDepp added that he was overwhelmed by the outpouring of love and the colossal support and kindness from around the world and that the verdict left him at peaceThough the jury awarded damages to both sides the outcome is a clear win for Depp who lost a similar trial in the United Kingdom in 2020 notes VarietyDepp brought that lawsuit after The Sun newspaper called him a wife beaterThe judge had ruled that Heards allegations were substantially true The lingering question now according to Variety is whether Depp can rehabilitate his film career which has been moribund for the last four yearsIn a statement Heard said she was disappointed and heartbroken by the outcomeThe disappointment I feel today is beyond words Heard saidIm heartbroken that the mountain of evidence still was not enough to stand up to the disproportionate power influence and sway of my exhusbandShe also pointed out that the verdict was a setback for womenIt 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 seriouslyRaising the issue of freedom of speech Heard said Depps attorneys succeeded in getting the jury to overlook this key issue and ignore evidence that was so conclusive that we won in the UKShe concluded by saying Im 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