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Topics: Johnny Depp, Amber Heard, US News, Celebrity
Emily Brown
A member of Johnny Depp's legal team has said the defamation trial was 'never about money' for the actor after he was awarded more than $10 million in damages.
The jury in Fairfax, Virginia initially determined Depp should be awarded $15 million (£11.9m) for being defamed by Heard in a 2018 op-ed, but the judge later reduced the punitive damages from $5m (£4m) to $350,000 (£28,000), meaning Heard now owes her ex-husband about $10.4m (£8.2m).
After winning $2m in damages herself, Heard would be out of pocket just over $8m as a result of the trial, but Depp's lawyer Ben Chew has the verdict was a 'total win for Johnny' regardless of the amount of money he was set to receive.
During an appearance on Good Morning America today (8 June), the lawyer was asked about the possibility that the money may drain Heard's wealth, with host George Stephanopoulos asking if we might 'see a settlement where [Heard] foregoes the appeal in return for Depp waving any monetary damages'.
Chew prompted reports suggesting Depp may not force Heard to pay the damages as he explained that while he couldn't 'disclose attorney-client communications', Depp had testified during the trial that it was 'never about money'.
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"This was about restoring his reputation, and he’s done that," Chew added.
The lawyer also described Depp as being 'over the moon' when the verdict was announced in his favour, adding: "It was like the weight of the world had been taken off his shoulders. And I feel that finally, after six years, he's gotten his life back."
Chew's comments echoed the statement Depp released in the wake of the verdict, when he explained his decision to go through with the case came 'after considerable thought' and with the goal of revealing '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," he said.
Another of Depp's lawyers, Camille Vasquez, revealed what she believed to be the 'key' in winning the case, saying: "The key to victory was focusing on the facts and the evidence and Johnny's opportunity to speak the truth for the first time. It was six years in the making and I think he was able to connect with the jury and the general public."
Vasquez also said Heard's reaction to the case, which saw her claim the result was a 'step back' for women and domestic violence victims, was 'disappointing'.
She said: "We're only speaking about what happened in this case. And the facts in this case were overwhelmingly positive for Johnny. And the verdict speaks for itself.
"I think our response to that is we encourage any victim to come forward, domestic violence has no gender."
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