Actor Johnny Depp won his defamation lawsuit against his ex-wife Amber Heard Wednesday. The verdict was monitored by mainstream media outlets across the country, with at least one analyst expressing “shock” over the outcome.
CNN legal analyst Joey Jackson saw it as a significant victory for Depp. In a video highlight posted on Mediate, Jackson said Depp’s legal team scored big points with the jury.
“Apparently, the jury really absorbed, digested those statements, and gave the indication that they rejected Amber Heard, I mean, completely, just about. We’ll get to her case momentarily, but this is a major victory for him,” Jackson noted.
Depp was suing Heard for $50 million; Heard was countersuing for $100 million. The lawsuit centered on a 2018 Washington Post op-ed written by Heard about being the victim of an abusive relationship. Although she never mentioned Depp by name, the actor saw it as an attack on his character and career.
“I can say that I am very shocked and surprised by the nature of this, by the fact that the jury concluded after hearing this that she would be liable for defamatory statements for all three, reminding, $10 million is the compensatory,” Jackson said.
“Compensatory damages are designed to make you whole, money you lost as a result of the defamatory statement,” Jackson added.
“Compensatory 10 million, there’s a cap in Virginia for $350,000. Therefore, Heard will only have to pay $350,000 to Depp in punitive damages while paying $10 million in compensatory damages.”
