Den internationale underholdningsbranche har sjældent set en så offentlig og vild retsag som den der netop er afsluttet imellem skuespiller Johnny Depp, og skuespillerinde Amber Heard, der var gift i en årrække.
Hele retsagen har været livestreamet, og derfor har millioner verden over fulgt aktivt med, imens Depp forsøgte at overbevise en jury i Virginia om at Heard begik karaktermord på Depp i en artikel i 2018 ved at insinuere at han har begået fysisk overgreb på hende i løbet af deres tid sammen.
Depp tabte faktisk en retsag til tabloidbladet The Sun i 2020, hvor de, på baggrund af Heards artikel, kaldte ham en "wife beater". Men denne gang har han faktisk vundet. Som Variety skriver er det dog endt sådan at Depp skal have udbetalt $10 millioner plus $5 millioner, hvoraf sidstnævnte reduceres til $350,000 i overensstemmelse med statens lovgivning.
Heard skal have udbetalt $2 millioner i "compensatory damages for her counterclaim", da hun har påstået at hans retsag imod hende har forårsaget præcis samme effekt som han mener hun har forårsaget - ja, der bliver det lidt teknisk. De har sagsøgt hinanden, men Depp lader til at være den primære vinder her.
Juryens dom er faktisk, at Heard gebærdede sig med "actual malice", da hun skrev artiklen, idet det påstås at hun både løj, og var bevidst om at hun løj.
"And six years later, the jury gave me my life back. I am truly humbled. 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," har Depp sagt efterfølgende.
Heard derimod er naturligvis skuffet over resultatet, og har sagt følgende:
"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."