Johnny Depp is "truly humbled" after winning his defamation case against Amber Heard.
The 58-year-old actor sued his ex-wife Amber, 36, for $50 million over a 2018 opinion piece she had written that alleged she was a victim of domestic abuse and although she countersued him for $100 million because she had not named him in the article, the jury found that she had acted "with malice" and her statements were deemed "defamatory."
Following the verdict, which was delivered on Wednesday (01.06.22), Johnny was awarded $15 million in damages and released a statement where he claimed that his life had been "forever changed" by the ordeal.
He said: "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."
However, the 'Pirates of the Caribbean' star - who has Lily-Rose, 22, and Jack, 20 with former partner Vanessa Paradis - added that eventually decided to pursue the case for the sake of his children and now "feels at peace" after getting his life back.
He added: "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."
Tagged in Amber Heard Johnny Depp Lily Rose Depp