Jury sides with Depp on lawsuit, Heard on counterclaim

FAIRFAX, Va. (AP) – A jury has ruled in favor of Johnny Depp in his libel lawsuit against ex-wife Amber Heard.

The ruling vindicates his stance that Heard fabricated claims that she was abused by Depp before and during their brief marriage.

The verdict could help the star rehabilitate his image after a televised trial that turned into a spectacle of a vicious marriage.

The jury also found in favor of Heard, who said she was defamed by Depp’s lawyer when he called her abuse allegations a hoax. Jury members found Depp should be awarded more than $10 million in damages, while Heard should receive $2 million.

Depp sued Heard for libel in Virginia court over a 2018 op-ed she wrote in The Washington Post describing herself as “a public figure representing domestic abuse.”