One of the most publicized trials of the last few decades has reached a conclusion. We’re talking, of course, about the Johnny Depp // Amber Heard defamation trial. We won’t bore you with paragraphs-long dissections of what happened, we’ll give you all the details you need to know below.
Initially, Depp sought a $50 million settlement, and Heard countersued for $100 million. On Wednesday, June 1st, the lengthy defamation trial was concluded. Jurors ruled mostly in favor of Johnny Depp, who was awarded $10 million in compensatory damages as well as $5 million in punitive damages, while Amber Heard was awarded $2 million in one of her claims. However, the state of Virginia caps punitive damages at $350,000, so Johnny Depp only received just over $10 million.
As Rolling Stone notes, this could be far from over. As the publication noted:
Attorney Kimberly Lau, who specializes in harassment and assault suits and is a libel and slander suit expert, says the verdict doesn’t mean that the public is done with Depp v. Heard and that the case is most certainly heading to the appellate court. “And then if it’s unsuccessful, [Heard] may consider trying to appeal again. So, this could go on for years.”
