Depp Wins Libel Lawsuit Against Heard, But Both Sides Guilty of Defamation, Jury Finds

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    The article by CBC reports on the case involving actor Johnny Depp, star of the franchise Pirates of the Caribbean and his wife Amber Heard, star of the movie Aquaman, “ both defamed over claims of abuse before and during their brief marriage.” (www.cbc.ca) The two were married for two years, between February 2015- 2017, until a divorce was filed by Amber Heard who also obtained a restraining order “against Depp on the grounds of domestic abuse” (www.cbc.ca) In 2018, Amber Heard wrote in the “Washington Post describing herself as "a public figure representing domestic abuse." (www.cbc.ca) Johnny Depp used the article as a ground to accuse Heard of libelling him, to which the court sided with Depp and granted him fifteen million dollars in damages. However, Amber Heard also made a counterclaim against Depp, claiming that she was defamed by Depp’s lawyer. The court sided with Heard on this matter and granted her two million dollars in damages. The article notes that, by the end of the case, over a dozen alleged assaults were mentioned in court, which made the jury's job extremely hard; the seven-person jury “deliberated for about 12 hours over three days” (www.cbc.ca) to achieve a unanimous decision. The article notes how difficult it was to determine whether the statements mentioned in court were true or whether they “were acting with a reckless disregard for the truth.” (www.cbc.ca)

I believe that cases of abuse such as this one are highly complicated and can not lead to a “right” answer. As both parties involved claimed suffering abuse from one another, it is likely that both of them partook in abuse and are guilty to some extent. Although it is easy to antagonize one person or take sides, I think that it is important to consider that both parties suffered in the relationship and had valid reasons for their actions. I think it is important to not antagonize either side as this may influence others to not speak up against any harassment that they may be suffering. I believe that money is not the right way to resolve relationship issues, instead, issues like this should seek a restorative justice approach, and both sides should be held accountable.  

Sources: 

Depp wins libel lawsuit against Heard, but each side defamed the other, jury finds

By The Associated Press

June 1, 2022

https://www.cbc.ca/news/entertainment/johnny-depp-amber-heard-verdict-1.6473926