Amber Heard has spoken out after her ex-husband Johnny Depp was awarded £12million ($15million) following their US legal battle.
Depp, 58, sued Heard, 36, for defamation after an op-ed was published by his ex-wife in which she detailed the alleged domestic violence she had faced, although she did not name her ex-husband.
The jury's verdict awarded compensatory damages of $2million to Heard after she proved one of her counterclaims to the jury.
The verdict, following a six-week trial that dominated headlines, is a 'setback' for women, said the actress in a statement.
Heard said: "It sets back the idea that violence against women is to be taken seriously."
Depp had sued Heard for defamation over a 2018 Washington Post op-ed she wrote about the alleged domestic violence she suffered, although she did not name her ex-husband, the Mirror reported.
The verdict follows the UK case in 2020 in which High Court Justice Andrew Nicol ruled that allegations made in the article against Depp were "substantially true".
In the US libel case, the actor demanded more than £38million, saying her domestic abuse claims have all but ended his career and ruined his reputation.
Depp denies ever physically or sexually assaulting Heard.
After the verdict was read out in court, Heard said in a statement: "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.
"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."
Don't miss the latest news from around Scotland and beyond - sign up to our daily newsletter here .
