Truth never perishes: Depp said after verdict

Johnny Depp has won his defamation trial against Amber Heard. After less than three days of deliberation the seven-person panel ruled that Amber Heard defamed Depp on June 1, reports Deadline.

After less than three days of deliberation the seven-person panel Depp had sought $50 million in damages, and Heard countersued for $100 million, but the jury has awarded him $15 million — $10 million in compensatory damages and $5 million in punitive damages. However, Judge Penney Azcarate quickly reduced the punitive damages figure to $350,000, the maximum allowed in the state, which makes Depp’s total haul around $10.4 million.

Johnny Depp released a statement minutes after the verdicts. “The jury gave me my life back,” he said, adding later. “Truth never perishes.”

Via his spokesperson, the former Pirates of the Caribbean star said: “Six years ago, my life, the life of my children, the lives of those closest to me, and also, the lives of the people who for many, many years have supported and believed in me were forever changed. All in the blink of an eye”.

“False, very serious and criminal allegations were levied at me via the media, which triggered an endless barrage of hateful content, although no charges were ever brought against me. It had already travelled around the world twice within a nanosecond and it had a seismic impact on my life and my career. And six years later, the jury gave me my life back.

“I am truly humbled,” he added. The best is yet to come and a new chapter has finally begun. Truth never perishes”, he concluded.