Piers Morgan was among those celebrating Johnny Depp’s defamation trial victory against Amber Heard.
Depp had sued Heard for $50m (£40m) for allegedly implying he abused her in a 2018 Washington Post op-ed. Although she didn’t name him, he claims her allegations impacted his ability to work.
She pursued a $100m ($80m) counterclaim against the Pirates of the Caribbean actor, accusing him of “orchestrating a smear campaign” against her.
On Wednesday (1 June), the jury found that Depp’s ex-wife had defamed him on all three counts and awarded him $10m (£8m) in compensatory damages and $5m (£4m) in punitive damages. Meanwhile, Heard was awarded $2m (£1.6m) in compensatory damages, but no punitive damages.
Reacting to the decision live on his new TalkTV show Piers Morgan Uncensored, the presenter said the verdict was a “complete slam dunk victory for Johnny Depp” and a “wipeout for Amber Heard”.
“It’s hard to imagine a bigger humiliation for Amber Heard. It’s a complete disaster and failure,” Morgan added.
After the verdict was delivered, both actors posted statements on their Instagram profiles reacting to the decision. “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,” Heard wrote.
In his statement, Depp said he was “humbled” by the jury’s verdict and thanked them for giving “me my life back”.
Among the many celebrities who have “liked” Depp’s official statement on social media are LaKeith Stanfield, Zoe Saldana, Emma Roberts, Gemma Chan, Bella Hadid, Taika Waititi, Jennifer Aniston, Henry Golding, Joey King, Riley Keough, and Jason Momoa, the latter of whom stars alongside Heard in the Aquaman films.
Momoa also liked Heard’s statement on her Instagram profile, leaving fans confused over his thoughts on the trial.
