The defamation case between Johnny Depp and Amber Heard became an internet sensation, with hundreds of millions of people tuning in to watch the weeks-long trial, and billions weighing in on social media. Depp had sued his ex-wife over statements she made in a 2018 op-ed in the Washington Post, where she referred to herself as a “public figure representing domestic abuse.” In June, a jury sided with Depp and awarded him $15 million in damages. Heard filed an appeal, but now it appears the battle is finally over, as Amber Heard revealed that she settled the defamation lawsuit.
In an Instagram post on Monday, Heard wrote, “After a great deal of deliberation I have made a very difficult decision to settle the defamation case brought against me by my ex-husband in Virginia.” She added, “I have made no admission. This is not an act of concession. There are no restrictions or gags with respect to my voice moving forward.” Heard explained that she made the decision to settle because she did not want to continue to go through the legal system: “Even if my US appeal is successful, the best outcome would be a re-trial where a new jury would have to consider the evidence again. I simply cannot go through that a third time.”
In 2018, Depp sued The Sun for libel over an article that referred to him as a “wife beater” in its original headline. He lost the case in 2020 when a U.K. judge found the claims that Depp had abused Heard to be “substantially true.” But in the U.S., a jury sided with Depp and awarded him $10 million in compensatory damages and $5 million in punitive damages. (Virginia law caps punitive damages at $350,000, so he was expected to receive $10.35 million in damages.) Heard was also awarded $2 million in compensatory damages.
Heard withdrew her appeal after agreeing to a settlement. Depp’s attorneys told NBC News in a statement that Heard will be paying $1 million, explaining, “This was never about the money. The jury’s unanimous decision and the judgment in his favor against Ms. Heard remain fully in place, and the payment of $1M reinforces her acknowledgment of the legal system’s rigorous pursuit for justice.” A source close to Depp told NBC News that the actor plans to donate the money to unspecified charities.
Depp’s attorneys added they are “pleased to formally close the door on this painful chapter for Mr. Depp, who made clear throughout this process his intent to bring the truth to light.”
Meanwhile, Heard said that the outcome of the U.S. defamation trial resulted in her “having lost faith in the American legal system.” During the trial, experts worried that the case could have implications beyond Heard and Depp, and warned that domestic abusers could use defamation lawsuits as a way to silence their victims or discourage them from coming forward in the first place. In March 2022, Marilyn Manson sued Evan Rachel Wood for defamation over her allegations that he’d abused and sexually assaulted her.
Heard did say, however, that despite the losing verdict, she “will not be threatened, disheartened, or dissuaded by what happened from speaking the truth.” She added, “My voice forever remains the most valuable asset I have.”
