The long-running legal battle between Johnny Depp and Amber Heard finally concluded a few days ago. One of the highly publicized trials in the history of Hollywood was closed after Heard agreed to pay $1 million to her ex-husband. The Aquaman actress took to her Instagram to pen a prolonged note announcing her decision to put an end to the drama as she didn’t want to go through another trial. Recently, Depp’s legal team gave some statements which show how the Donnie Brasco actor was also equally eager to leave the trouble sooner.
Johnny Depp and Amber Heard didn’t have a very smooth marital life. After their marriage in 2015, very soon they went on the path of divorce after staying together for less than 2 years. Several bitter claims were made and during the divorce proceedings, Depp was alleged of physical abuse. Following that, they met in two different legal battles in the U.K. and then in the U.S. winning the latter one.
Why did Johnny Depp settle for $1 million?
The defamation trial held in Fairfax County in Virginia was a prolonged as well as a widely followed legal drama that resulted in the verdict in the favor of Johnny Depp. It was regarding an op-ed published by his ex-wife Amber Heard in The Washington Post in 2018. Even after the trial ended, the series of appeals by both parties kept the fire ignited until it was finally snuffed this Monday.
While the Aquaman star wrote a long Instagram post to announce the settlement of the case, Johnny Depp’s side also claimed to be extremely happy with the ultimate conclusion. From the statement of lawyers Camille Vasquez and Benjamin Chew, the actor was certainly keen to get over this whole thing as soon as possible. According to them, the Edward Scissorhands actor’s only intention was to bring the truth out after the whole controversy affected his image severely.
“We are pleased to formally close the door on this painful chapter for Mr. Depp, who made clear throughout this process that his priority was about bringing the truth to light. The jury’s unanimous decision and the resulting judgement in Mr. Depp’s favor against Ms. Heard remain fully in place.”
Further, the fans were also very happy when it was announced that the amount of $1 million will be donated to several charities by the 59-year-old actor. Johnny Depp has also started to get his hands on more projects after his comeback. Besides giving a surprise cameo at MTV Video Music Awards 2022, he is also set to star in his first French movie La Favorite. Additionally, he is also working on a project Modigliani as a director as well as a co-producer.
An end to one of the biggest events in the Hollywood history
The defamation trial in Virginia ended with the Jack Sparrow star being awarded a sum of $10 million in compensatory charges with $5 million(reduced to $350,000) in punitive damages. On the other side, Amber Heard was awarded $2 million in compensatory damages.
The case didn’t end there as Amber Heard’s legal team appealed the verdict claiming that there were many faults in the whole process. Even Johnny Depp’s lawyers appealed against the judgment of awarding $2 million to his The Rum Diary co-star. But a few days ago, Heard took to her Instagram account to post a lengthy note to announce the settlement of the case.
The London Fields actress added that now she wants to spend her time more productively. According to her, the whole U.S. scenario was different than the libel case she fought in the U.K. The Virginia trial exposed her to hordes of internet hate contrary to the U.K. one where she felt more secure. Amber Heard doesn’t think she can withstand another re-trial even if the appeal is accepted as she is not only financially broken but also physically as well as emotionally exhausted.
Source: Deadline
