Defamation: Amber Heard, Johnny Depp Reach Settlement

Former Hollywood couple, Amber Heard and Johnny Depp, have decided to settle their highly-televised defamation suit out of court.

The Pirates of the Caribbean actor had sued his ex-wife to the tune of $50 million for an op-ed she wrote a year after their marriage fell apart.

In the article, the actress had referred to herself as a “public figure representing domestic abuse.”

While his name was not mentioned, Depp claimed the article had painted him as an abusive partner and consequently impacted his career negatively.

In June, a United States jury finally reached a verdict after weeks of an intense trial where shocking revelations were made by both parties.

The seven-member jury in Virginia found Heard’s 2018 article defamatory and awarded Depp $15 million in damages.

The jury also found that Heard was defamed by statements made by Depp’s lawyer, Adam Waldman, who told the Daily Mail that her abuse claims were a “hoax,” and awarded her $2 million in damages.

While Heard had expressed disappointment in the jury’s decision, Depp stated that, “jury gave me my life back”

Heard had originally filed for an appeal against the verdict earlier in the month. However, the actress revealed on Monday that they were settling the case out of court.

“After a great deal of deliberation I have made a very difficult decision to settle the defamation case brought against me by my ex-husband in Virginia,” she shared via her Instagram page on Monday.

She added, “It’s important for me to say that I never chose this. I defended my truth and in doing so my life, as I knew it, was destroyed. The vilification I have faced on social media is an amplified version of the ways in which women are re-victimised when they come forward.

“Now finally have an opportunity to emancipate myself from something I attempted to leave over six years ago and on terms I can agree to. I have made no admission. This is not an act of concession. There are no restrictions or gags with respect to my voice moving forward.”

Heard stated that her decision was based on her distrust for the “American legal system”, where her domestic violence testimony “served as entertainment and social media fodder.”

In comparison to her trial in the United Kingdom, the Aquaman actress stated that she was better protected from disclosing her personal life in front of the world media.

“Even if my US appeal is successful, the best outcome would be a re-trial where a new jury would have to consider the evidence again. I simply cannot go through that for a third time,” she continued.

Amber stated that she plans on focusing her time on more productive pursuits from now on.

In a statement provided to press by Depp’s lawyers, it was revealed that the actress will pay their client $1 million as part of the settlement.