Jury sides with Depp on lawsuit, Heard on counterclaim

FAIRFAX, VA (AP/ABC NEWS) — A jury has ruled in favor of Johnny Depp in his libel lawsuit against ex-wife Amber Heard, vindicating his stance that Heard fabricated claims that she was abused by Heard before and during their brief marriage.

The jury also found in favor of Heard, who said she was defamed by Depp’s lawyer when he called her abuse allegations a hoax.

Jury members found Depp should be awarded $15 million in damages, while Heard should receive $2 million. Depp sued Heard for libel in Virginia over a December 2018 op-ed she wrote describing herself as “a public figure representing domestic abuse.” In response, Heard filed a $100 million countersuit against Depp.

His lawyers said he was defamed by the article even though it never mentioned his name.

The couple met while filming “The Rum Diary,” released in 2011, and they were married from 2015 to 2017.

Depp and Heard lobbed abuse claims at each other during their respective testimonies over the course of the weekslong trial. Both deny each other’s claims of abuse.

During Depp’s testimony, the “Pirates of the Caribbean” actor alleged he is the victim of domestic violence, not Heard. While on the stand, Heard admitted to being physically violent with Depp but claimed she always acted in self-defense. Heard alleged that Depp physically abused her countless times during their years together, which he denied.