Amber Heard is "disappointed beyond words" after losing her defamation trial against Johnny Depp.
Amber Heard releases statement after losing Johnny Depp defamation trial
The 35-year-old actress was countersuing her ex-husband Johnny, 58, for $100 million after he had sued her $50 million for defamation following the publication of a 2018 piece in The Washington Post in which she alleged she was a victim of domestic abuse but had not named him specifically.
However, on Wednesday (01.06.22), the jury found that the 'Aquaman' actress had acted with "malice" and awarded Johnny $15 million in damages but she has since released a statement in which she is "heartbroken" for what the verdict could mean for other women.
She said: "The disappointment I feel today is beyond words. 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.
Amber - who was married to 'Prates of the Caribbean' star Johnny from 2015 until 2017 and was eventually awarded $2million in punitive damages - labelled the jury's decision as a "setback" to women's rights.
She added: "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."
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