Johnny Depp Wins Defamation Lawsuit Against Ex-Wife Amber Heard

Jury also rules in favor of Heard's counterclaim after Depp's lawyer called her abuse allegations a hoax

Actors Johnny Depp (L) and Amber Heard at the Fairfax County Circuit Court in Fairfax, Va., on May 4, 2022. Elizabeth Frantz/Pool Photos via AP

A seven-person jury in Virginia reached a verdict on June 1 regarding Johnny Depp’s defamation lawsuit against ex-wife Amber Heard, who had countersued Depp.

Jurors read the verdict aloud in the Fairfax County courtroom, finding that Heard defamed Johnny Depp on almost every count when she wrote a 2018 opinion article for The Washington Post. The jury awarded compensatory damages of $10 million and $5 million in favor of Depp.