WHY JOHNNY DEPP WON'T RECEIVE THE FULL $15 MILLION FROM THE AMBER
HEARD CASE
By WILLIAM KENNEDY
History - Science
A mixed verdict was reached in the high-profile defamation case between actor Johnny Depp and his ex-wife, actress Amber Heard. Heard won just one of three countersuits she brought against Depp and was awarded a total of $2 million in damages, while the total amount awarded to Depp was $15 million — $10 million in damages and $5 million in punitive damages.
Depp's initial suit was for $50 million, to which Heard countersued for $100 million. However, Depp will not see the full $15 million he was awarded, as the state of Virginia limits the total amount of punitive damages to only $350,000. This legal loophole takes Depp's full award down to roughly $10 million, and after the $2 million the jury awarded to Heard, his total is a bit more than $8 million.
In a statement, Depp said, "Speaking the truth was something that I owed to my children and to all those who have remained steadfast in their support of me. I feel at peace knowing I have finally accomplished that." Heard, on the other hand, tweeted, "I'm heartbroken that the mountain of evidence still was not enough to stand up to the disproportionate power, influence and sway of my ex husband."