Johnny Depp and Amber Heard had a contentious legal battle, but who won Depp v. Heard? A Netflix docuseries revisits it all.
The latest true crime doc on the streamer, which premieres on Wednesday, August 16, examines the allegations the former Hollywood couple made against one another. However, it takes things a step further by examining how the infamous trial in 2022 turned into a media circus when the exes reconnected in the courtroom.
But let's backtrack quickly: Heard wrote a 2018 op-ed for The Washington Post claiming she was a “public figure representing domestic abuse." Though she did not name Depp specifically, the actor claimed the implications damaged his career, thus he sued for $50 million. Two years later, she countersued for $100 million because she had felt that her ex-husband and his team had defamed her credibility and reputation by calling her allegations a "hoax."
Since it became a "cultural moment," as it is referred to in the documentary trailer, it's easy to forget how it all wound up. Where did the jury settle on Depp v. Heard? Let's dig in.
Who won Depp v. Heard? About the famous case
When the trial came to an end in June 2022, the jury decided unanimously in favor of Johnny Depp, who was awarded $15 million in damages (which was later reduced to $10.35 million). Amber Heard, for her part, won one of her three defamation counterclaims and was awarded $2 million.
"The disappointment I feel today is beyond words," Heard said in a statement following the trial. "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."
Depp claimed he'd lost acting roles and faced damaging of his reputation because of Heard's remarks, and he ultimately owed it to his children to "speak the truth." However, while on trial, he claimed he lost from the beginning due to the consequences of his ex-wife's words.
"When the allegations were made [and] rapidly circulating the globe, telling people that I was a drunken, cocaine-fueled menace who beat women suddenly in my 50s… no matter the outcome of this trial, the second the allegations were made against me [and] turned into fodder for the media… I lost then," he said, according to Entertainment Weekly.
Now, the former spouses appear to be carrying on with their lives without one another. Amber Heard now is living in Madrid, raising her 2-year-old daughter and moving forward with new roles and opportunities. (Yes, that means she'll be in the Aquaman sequel later this year.)
Despite everything she has faced, Heard revealed to Deadline that she is not allowing it to hold her back. "What I have been through, what I’ve lived through, doesn’t make my career at all. And it’s certainly not gonna stop my career," she told the outlet.
Shifting the focus to her role in In The Fire, she said: "Right now, I just kind of want to not have, you know, stones thrown at me so much. So let’s get the elephant out of the room then, and just let me say that. I am an actress. I’m here to support a movie. And that’s not something I can be sued for.
Watch the 'Depp v. Heard' trailer below
Depp v. Heard will hit Netflix on Wednesday, August 16.
