After three days of deliberation and six weeks of one of the wildest celebrity trials in the history of Hollywood, it's being reported that Johnny Depp has won his defamation case against Amber Heard.
The Virginia jury ruled unanimously in Depp's favor earlier this afternoon, saying that Heard defamed him when she penned her now-infamous Washington Post op-ed, which alluded to the former Pirates of the Caribbean star as her domestic abuser.
Depp was awarded $10 million in compensatory damages, plus $5 million in punitive damages - but since Virginia law states that punitive damages cannot exceed $350,000, that figure has been reduced.
Heard did win her countersuit, which states that Depp defamed her in responding to her initial claims, and was awarded $2 million in compensatory damages. In total, she owes Depp $8,350,000.
Depp, who was not present for the verdict, shared a lengthy statement following the win, declaring, "Truth never perishes."
Read the full statement below:
Six years ago, my life, the life of my children, the lives of those closest to me, and also, the lives of the people who for many, many years have supported and believed in me were forever changed.
All in the blink of an eye.
False, very serious and criminal allegations were levied at me via the media, which triggered an endless barrage of hateful content, although no charges were ever brought against me. It had already traveled around the world twice within a nanosecond and it had a seismic impact on my life and my career.
And six years later, the jury gave me my life back. I am truly humbled.
My decision to pursue this case, knowing very well the height of the legal hurdles that I would be facing and the inevitable, worldwide spectacle into my life, was only made after considerable thought.
From the very beginning, the goal of bringing this case was to reveal the truth, regardless of the outcome. 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.
I am, and have been, overwhelmed by the outpouring of love and the colossal support and kindness from around the world. I hope that my quest to have the truth be told will have helped others, men or women, who have found themselves in my situation, and that those supporting them never give up. I also hope that the position will now return to innocent until proven guilty, both within the courts and in the media.
I wish to acknowledge the noble work of the Judge, the jurors, the court staff and the Sheriffs who have sacrificed their own time to get to this point, and to my diligent and unwavering legal team who did an extraordinary job in helping me to share the truth.
The best is yet to come and a new chapter has finally begun.
Veritas numquam perit.
Truth never perishes.
Heard, who listened to the verdict with her head down, expressed her disappointment with her own short statement,
“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.
I’m even more disappointed with what this verdict means for other women. It is a setback. It sets back the clock to a time when a woman who spoke up and spoke out could be publicly shamed and humiliated. It sets back the idea that violence against women is to be taken seriously.
I believe Johnny’s attorneys succeeded in getting the jury to overlook the key issue of Freedom of Speech and ignore evidence that was so conclusive that we won in the UK.
I’m sad I lost this case. But I am sadder still that I seem to have lost a right I thought I had as an American – to speak freely and openly.”
While there's still a possibility Heard will appeal the decision, today's verdict should bring this three-year saga to an end.
As for what happens to the respective careers of both actors, it's hard to say as this case has likely brought irreparable damage to the marketability of both - despite Depp seemingly re-winning the court of public opinion throughout the course of the trial.
He's not scheduled to star in any new project anytime soon, but Heard is still slated to appear in James Wan's Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom next year, although it's been widely circulated that she will only have ten minutes of screentime. Whether or not that changes remains to be seen.