CULVER CITY, CA – JANUARY 09: Amber Heard and Johnny Depp attend The Art of Elysium 2016 HEAVEN Gala presented by Vivienne Westwood & Andreas Kronthaler at 3LABS on January 9, 2016 in Culver City, California. (Photo by C Flanigan/Getty Images)
The verdict is in. One of the highest profile defamation cases in recent memory reached its conclusion today in the case of Johnny Depp vs. Amber Heard.
A Virginia jury found Heard guilty on charges of defamation stemming from a 2018 Washington Post op-ed in which she wrote about her alleged experience with domestic abuse. The civil jury has ordered Heard to pay $15 million in damages.
Heard has claimed that Depp abused her physically and emotionally during their marriage between 2015 and 2017. Depp vehemently denied the allegations and has claimed that Heard was the one who abused him.
Many sports fans, outlets and former outlets have been following the trial from the get go. The reaction is almost universally one of praise for Depp winning the case:
The fallout of this case might not amount to much in the end. It’s been an interesting case to follow, but it’s hard to tell how this might influence society at large.
In the short term though, the fallout could be enormous for Johnny Depp and Amber Heard.
Depp lost prominent roles in major movie franchises like Pirates of the Caribbean and Harry Potter in the wake of Heard’s allegations. Heard, meanwhile, is set to star in DC’s Aquaman and The Lost Kingdom later this year.
It’s been an interesting day in the media landscape to be sure.
