Amber Heard’s attorney announced on Thursday that the actress cannot pay more than 15 million dollars, describing it as the amount the jury assigned for defaming Johnny Depp in a 2018 opinion piece. The attorney said an appeal is planned. The statement came after three days of deliberation and the verdict was made public by the court in Fairfax County, Virginia. The defense argued there are strong reasons to challenge the decision, noting substantial evidence supporting Heard”s position [NBC Today interview] and emphasizing that the amount could not realistically be paid in full if required to do so.
When pressed about whether Heard could owe more than 15 million in damages, the lawyer responded firmly, saying, “Oh, absolutely not.” The verdict called for 15 million in compensatory damages, plus a 5 million punitive damages award. The Virginia judge Penney Azcarate later reduced the punitive sum to 350,000 dollars.
Johnny Depp had initially claimed 50 million dollars in connection with a Washington Post article published in 2018 that Heard said portrayed him as a domestic abuser without naming him directly. The jury found that Heard had defamed Depp in the article, while also recognizing that Depp’s former attorney made a comment deemed insulting to Heard, resulting in a separate 2 million dollar damages award against him [court records].
In discussing the legal outcome, the case was labeled by supporters and critics as a landmark moment in how defamation, domestic violence, and public perception intersect in high-profile trials. The defense argued that the trial drew intense public scrutiny and social media engagement that affected the proceedings and the jury’s views, describing the courtroom environment as chaotic and highly invasive. They contended that the process was colored by a wide audience on social platforms that amplified rage and caricatures about Heard, potentially influencing the decision-making process [NBC coverage].
Johnny Depp wins defamation lawsuit against Amber Heard
From the defense’s perspective, the court’s handling of the high-profile case sent a discouraging signal about seeking help or reporting abuse, suggesting that victims may feel discouraged from sharing their experiences if they fear hostile rebuttals on public forums. The attorney pointed to ongoing tensions about how cameras inside the Fairfax County courthouse were used during the proceedings and argued that the visibility may have intensified the pressure on the jury and participants [Today show summary].
The legal team asserted that millions of observers followed the case, and that the public reaction, including memes and commentary, shaped perceptions in a way that could sway judicial outcomes. As the team framed it, the case drew a social-media-driven narrative that may have distracted from the substantive evidence presented in court. They also referenced related reports from other jurisdictions, noting comparable disputes and outcomes in libel cases involving Depp in different regions [media coverage].
Throughout the proceedings, the defense claimed that a key portion of the evidence not accepted during the formal process could still be relevant for future discussions and that a broader review of prior legal actions abroad might shed additional light on the matters at hand. They argued that the court had found multiple acts of domestic violence within the context of the case, though the precise interpretation and severity of those findings were contested and debated by both sides [court briefing].
The narrative around the trial also touched on the broader impact of public opinion on legal disputes, particularly when a case becomes a cultural touchstone. Critics argued that the intense focus surrounding Heard and Depp highlights a tension between the protections offered by defamation law and the realities of living under a constant public microscope. Supporters of Depp noted that the verdict validated claims of defamation while allowing room for discussion about how fame interacts with personal conduct in the digital age [legal analysis].