Defamation

2022 - 6 - 2

Post cover — Image courtesy of "The Cut"

Johnny Depp and Amber Heard React to the Defamation Verdict (The Cut)

Following the verdict, which found that Amber Heard had defamed Johnny Depp in her 2018 op-ed, Depp released a statement on Instagram, thanking his fans and ...

“A number of things were allowed in this court that should not have been allowed, and it caused the jury to be confused,” Bredehoft said, noting that Heard was “demonized” by Depp’s legal team despite the “enormous amount of evidence” she and her attorneys presented. The actor then widened the scope of the trial’s impact, calling the findings “a setback” that “sets back the clock to a time when a woman who spoke up and spoke out could be publicly shamed and humiliated.” She also brought in the issue of freedom of speech, concluding, “I’m sad I lost this case. “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,” she wrote. Ryan Adams, who has faced his own allegations of sexual harassment, assault, and emotional abuse (allegations he has denied), commented on Depp’s Instagram, leaving a series of congratulatory emoji — a heart, raised hands, and the fire emoji. Heard was awarded $2 million in compensatory damages and $0 in punitive damages relating to Depp’s attorney Adam Waldman’s 2020 op-ed in The Daily Mail. Shortly after the verdict was made public, Depp, who was in England during the verdict, went to his typewriter to craft a statement. “All in the blink of an eye.” (He is apparently referring to the op-ed which was at the center of the trial, in which he is not named.) “False, very serious and criminal allegations were levied at me via the media, which triggered an endless barrage of hateful content, although no charges were ever brought against me.” Addressing Wednesday’s verdict, Depp said in part, “The jury gave me my life back.

Can Johnny Depp's career bounce back with defamation verdict? (The Straits Times)

LOS ANGELES (AFP) - After a United States jury largely sided with Johnny Depp in his libel battle against Amber Heard, could the verdict help the Pirates Of ...

when they're accused of doing something that involves being volatile, people say, 'Well, I'm not surprised - it doesn't change who I think that person is'," she added. "And he could get nominated for some cool little role where the stakes aren't so high, and the budget's a couple million bucks, and he blows people away with some crazy performance." Despite a string of recent flops, "he's almost always been very good for the box office", she said, noting that Depp is "as much in the public eye now as he ever has been because of the trial". "I think there are studios that will be willing to work with him at this point," said Ms Karen North, a University of Southern California professor specialising in reputation management. "The damage that's done is done, and from this it might start a process back to some sort of normalcy," said a Hollywood producer who has worked with Depp in the past, but asked not to be identified. A jubilant Depp on Wednesday (June 1) said the jury "gave me my life back" as he was awarded more than US$10 million (S$13.8 million) in damages for defamation, in contrast to just US$2 million for his ex-wife, who had counter-sued.

The Depp defamation suit should outrage and appall you (The Guardian)

But no one should be applauding this verdict – not even people who believe that Heard is a liar and Depp never laid a finger on her.

What abuse survivor wants to speak out if she knows that a person she’s accusing can sue her, not meet the legal standard of defamation, and still win so long as a jury finds him more sympathetic? And that’s true, again, even if you don’t believe Heard’s version of events: the lesson of this trial is that one can be as careful as possible in speaking out about abuse and still be financially gouged into silence. And it matters that this jury appears to have set aside the law itself, because defamation suits by the powerful can be highly effective tools for suppressing speech. This case concerned the Washington Post op-ed specifically – a piece that was carefully worded and does not, in fact, contain false statements that are defamatory to Depp. You can believe that Heard was not actually a domestic violence victim and also recognize the objective fact that the public associated her with domestic violence. The US sets a high bar for winning a defamation case, and that bar gets even higher when the allegedly defamed is a celebrity.

Depp-Heard trial may encourage defamation lawsuits against ... (INSIDER)

A former federal prosecutor told Insider he expects to see more rich and powerful people "aggressively go after their accusers" with defamation cases.

Rahmani agreed, saying the outcome could "chill and discourage accusers from coming forward," adding that while domestic violence and sexual assault can be falsely reported, they are already among the most underreported crimes. She added that if other accused people feel they have nothing more to lose, as Depp expressed, they may be more likely to bring a suit. But he added this case is such an outlier in many ways that it's difficult to guess how much of an impact it will have. It could have gone another way for him and I don't know that other celebrities will take that risk." A jury on Wednesday found both actors liable for defamation against each other but ultimately sided with Depp, finding Heard acted with "actual malice" and awarding him $15 million in damages. Depp sued Heard in 2019 over a Washington Post op-ed in which she described herself as a victim of domestic violence.

Amber Heard 'demonised' during defamation trial, plans to appeal ... (CNA)

One of Heard's attorneys also said that Johnny Depp's legal team was "able to suppress an enormous amount of evidence" that was allowed in a libel case in ...

Heard said she slapped Depp but only in defense of herself or her sister. "A number of things were allowed in this court that should not have been allowed, and it caused the jury to be confused." The jury also determined that Heard was defamed, awarding her US$2 million.

Defamation trial for Johnny Depp and Amber Heard raises concerns ... (PBS NewsHour)

A Virginia jury Wednesday ordered Amber Heard to pay her ex-husband Johnny Depp $15 million in damages in a defamation case. Depp was also ordered to pay ...

I think this is one of the few times that we saw where she absolutely did not fit into the stereotype. And she may be your everyday white woman who's just had a series of bad things happen to her, including domestic violence. I do think that there is hope and this is a blip that will and may prevent some chilling effect, but we're going to have to keep moving forward in allowing victims and survivors to have their voice and talk about the abuse that they have endured. Depp denied any physical or sexual abuse and accused Heard of domestic abuse against him. The jury also ordered Depp to pay heard $2 million in damages. A Virginia jury Wednesday ordered Amber Heard to pay her ex-husband Johnny Depp $15 million in damages in a defamation case.