The fate of Johnny Depp and Amber Heard — and whether either side will be liable for millions in damages in their dueling defamation cases — lies in the hands of a Virginia jury.
Seven jurors overseeing the Fairfax trial will decide whether Heard, 36, defamed Depp, 58, when she wrote a 2018 Washington Post op-ed piece calling herself “a public figure representing domestic abuse.”
The jury must also determine whether she should be on the hook for millions in damages.
“The jury is going to determine damages for both the claim and the counterclaim,” sources close to Heard’s legal team told The Post. “If the jury finds Amber was liable for Mr. Depp, it would determine damages, if it found that Mr. Depp was liable for Amber’s counterclaims, it makes a determination of damages.”
The “Aquaman” actress — who once dated Depp and was married to him for 15 months — does not risk prison time since she doesn’t face any criminal charges, just civil claims.
The “Pirates of the Caribbean” actor filed his $50 million defamation suit against Heard claiming she harmed his reputation and career — costing him tens of millions — when she penned the op-ed.
Heard did not name Depp in the essay, but his attorneys argue it still defamed him because it was clearly referencing allegations of domestic abuse his ex-wife made when she filed for divorce in 2016 and got a temporary restraining order against him.
Depp denies ever physically hurting Heard, and has claimed that she was the abusive one in their relationship. Heard, meanwhile, has accused Depp of assaulting her dozens of times.
The actress then filed defamation counterclaims for $100 million — alleging Depp was carrying out a “smear campaign” to ruin her life.
