Highlights:
- Johnny Depp and ex-wife Amber Heard’s $50 million defamation trial concluded on June 1st.
- Amber Heard was found guilty of defamation by the jury and was ordered to pay $15 million in damages. In Amber’s countersuit, Johnny Depp was also ordered to pay $2 million.
- Will Depp get back Jack Sparrow’s role in “Pirates of the Caribbean” ahead of the win?
The final verdict in the Depp vs Amber defamation lawsuit was announced on 1st June. Johnny had sued his ex-wife Amber for $50 million, claiming that she defamed him in an op-ed when she dubbed herself “a public figure symbolising domestic abuse.” Amber launched a $100 million countersuit, alleging that he slandered her by labelling her a liar.
The jury awarded Johnny Depp $15 million in compensation and punitive damages, but the court lowered the punitive damages verdict to $10.35 million due to legal limits. Amber Heard was awarded $2 million in damages by the jury.
After the verdict, Depp issued an Instagram statement claiming that Heard’s domestic and sexual abuse charges had harmed his career. Johnny Depp claimed he was humbled by the verdict and that the “jury handed me my life back” in a statement. He went on to say that he was now at ease.
Also Read, Nora Fatehi Dons A Blue Velvet Thigh-Slit Gown: Resembles Modern-Day Cinderella
Amber Heard said she was “heartbroken” by the ruling pointing fingers at Johnny’s lawyers and saying that they succeeded in convincing the jury to look past the fundamental issue of freedom of expression, as well as evidence that was so conclusive that we won in the UK, she said.
Depp was sacked as Gellert Grindelwald, the main villain of the Fantastic Beasts franchise, after he lost his libel action against UK tabloid The Sun. However, he had already lost another lucrative franchise, Pirates of the Caribbean, as well as possibly the most popular and financially advantageous figure of his career. According to a former Disney executive, the verdict may allow Depp to reprise his role as Jack Sparrow in the fantasy adventure film series, possibly in a reboot.
“I firmly believe post-verdict that Pirates is primed for rebooting with Johnny as Capt. Jack back on board”, the executive told People. He added that there is simply too much potential box-office gold for a popular Disney character deeply ingrained in society.
He further remarked that following the massive success of Tom Cruise in Top Gun: Maverick, there is a high likelihood of producers bringing back bankable Hollywood actors in hugely popular franchises.
Earlier during his defamation trial, Johnny was asked if he would return to the brand if Disney approached him again, and he said he would decline the offer. After Heard’s lawyer inquired of Depp, “Mr Depp, if Disney offered you $300 million and a million alpacas, nothing on earth could persuade you to return to work on another ‘Pirates of the Caribbean’ film. “Is that correct?” asked Depp, to which he replied, “That is correct.”
Pirates of the Caribbean has been one of Depp’s most liked franchise films, and the actor’s performance as Captain Jack Sparrow has been highly celebrated by fans all across the globe.
