Johnny Depp-Amber Heard Verdict: Hollywood Reacts to Surprising Outcome

June 02, 2022

As you've no doubt heard by now Johnny Depp won his defamation case against Amber Heard on Wednsesday.

The decision came as a shock to many, as the burden of proof in defamation cases is notoriously high.

Depp sued Heard for $50 million in connection with a 2018 Washington Post essay in which she identitied herself as a survivor of domesticabuse.

The case was considered an especially tough one for Depp, as Heard did not mention him by name in the article.

Depp/Heard

But in the end, Team Depp emerged triumphant -- and the jury's decision has proven to be every bit as controversial as the rest of the trial.

Moments after the verdict was announced Depp issued a statement that was met with a rapturous response on social media, with much of the praise coming from fellow celebs.

"Six years ago, my life, the life of my children, the lives of those closest to me, and also, the lives of the people who for many, many years have supported and believed in me were forever changed," Depp wrote.

"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, it had already traveled around the world twice within a nanosecond and it had a seismic impact on my life and my career," the actor wrote.

Depp concluded with a statement of gratitude to his fans, writing, "I am truly humbled."

A long list of stars either liked the post or commented with heart emojis, including Riley Keough, Rahul Kohli, Ryan Adams, Ricki Lake, Nikki Bella, Eli Brown, Teen Mom 2 star Briana DeJesus, Atiana de la Hoya and Connor and Isabella, who are the children of Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman.

As Too Fab reports, numerous other celebs expressed support for Depp in their own social media posts.

Ashley Benson posted a photo of Depp waving to Instagram with a caption readinf, "YESSSSS [string of heart emojis]" -- The Walking Dead star Laurie Holden:

Today justice was served. The verdict of the jury sent a message to the world that abuse has no gender and that facts actually do matter. #TruthWins."

"Wow, it wasn’t what I was expecting. I mean, I wanted Johnny to win but I didn't expect him to," Sharon Osbourne remarked on Piers Morgan's talk show.

"#MeToo is dead. Helluva job @ACLU," Meghan McCain tweeted, seemingly in reference to the courtroom revelation that the organization had ghostwritten Heard's Washington Post piece.

Heard had her share of supporters, as well, including comedian Amy Schumer, who did not mention the actress by name, but instead posted the following quote from renowned feminist Gloria Steinem:

"Any woman who chooses to behave like a full human being should be warned that the armies of the status quo will treat her as something of a dirty joke ... She will need her sisterhood."

“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," Heard wrote.

"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," the actress continued.

"It sets back the idea that violence against women is to be taken seriously.

Depp was awarded $10 million in compensatory damages and $5 million in punitive damages, which the judge lowered to $350,000 due to the state's cap.

Heard was awarded $2 million in compensatory damages.

The actress is expected to appeal the decision, which means this matter could be re-litigated in the very near future

We'll have further updates on this developing story as more information becomes available.

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