The Depp/Heard verdict is in

A Virginia jury found both Amber Heard and Johnny Depp’s lawyer liable for defamation in their lawsuits against each other, awarding Depp $15 million in total damages while Heard received $2 million.

• Depp prevailed in all three of his defamation counts, while Heard won one out of three; the presiding judge later reduced Depp’s punitive damages to $350,000 – the highest amount allowed by state law – bringing his total damages to $10.35 million.

🏴‍☠️️ Depp's argument: The trial centered on a $50 million defamation lawsuit Depp filed in 2019 against ex-wife Heard over a WaPo op-ed in which she referred to herself as “a public figure representing domestic abuse.”

• Depp alleged that, while Heard’s article didn’t mention him by name, she falsely and maliciously implied he was a domestic abuser, which damaged his reputation and career. 
• Depp also alleged that Heard abused him during the relationship.

🧜‍♀️ On the other side: Jurors also considered a $100 million countersuit brought by Heard accusing her ex-husband of defamation.

• She denied Depp’s abuse allegations, and said he defamed her by claiming she fabricated injuries related to her alleged domestic abuse.
• Heard also said everything she wrote in the op-ed is accurate, and that Depp was often physically and emotionally abusive when drunk or high (claims that he denied).

📱 In the metaverse: The trial attracted immense attention on social media, with millions of people tuning in to watch the verdict live on YouTube. Depp also won the online battle; the tag #JusticeForJohnnyDepp garnered 18.8 billion views on TikTok compared to 60.6 million for #JusticeForAmberHeard.