The Johnny Depp vs Amber Heard defamation trial has reached jury deliberation at the district court in Fairfax, Virginia. The jury will announce the verdict very soon.
Depp has sued his ex-wife Heard for $50 million as he claims that her op-ed that she wrote in The Washington Post in 2018 defamed him and destroyed his life. The article was titled “I spoke up against sexual violence – and faced our culture’s wrath. That has to change.”
Though Depp’s name was not mentioned in that article, Johnny believed that allegations created hurdles in getting movie roles. Amber countersued her ex-husband for $100 million, accusing him of an alleged smear campaign against her. At the same time, Heard has also asked for immunity against Depp’s claims.
On April 11, 2022, the trial in response to Depp’s suit began. Six weeks went by with many testimonies from media, experts, friends, and other people who knew them. Testimonies portrayed how harrowing the former couple’s relationship was.
The legal teams of both the actors – Johnny and Amber – gave their closing statements on Friday, May 27, 2022. After that, the case was sent to the jury for deliberation.
Johnny Depp vs Amber Heard trial: When will there be a verdict?
When the jury makes its conclusion and closing arguments, it will be asked to retire, deliberate and give a verdict. The jury has to decide if Amber Heard defamed Johnny Depp in the article in question at the center of the case.
If the jury gives a verdict in favor of Depp, Heard will be asked to compensate Depp with the $50m that he has asked about the loss of earnings. The court may recommend Amber pay Johnny more or less than the figure in the suit.
If the jury arrives at a verdict of not ordering Heard to pay $50 million in damages to Depp, Depp’s legal team would still try to restore their client’s reputation.
If the jury rules verdict in favor of Amber Heard, Johnny Depp will get nothing. He could be ordered to pay $100 million to his ex-wife that she has asked for in her countersuit. The jurors may ask to make adjustments too.
It becomes slightly hard to predict when the jury will give its verdict. It’s because there is a mountain of evidence presented during the trial. However, we can still expect the verdict to be delivered in one to three days of time.
After the trial reaches to jury deliberation on May 27, jurors will see a three-day Memorial Day weekend. So, the proceedings will resume on Tuesday, May 31 2022.