Johnny Depp opened up about why he decided to pursue his defamation case against Amber Heard in an emotional statement shared following the verdict.
The actor took to Instagram to address his fans and followers after it was determined he would receive more than $10 million in damages for his case against Heard, who he claimed implied she was abused by Depp in a 2018 op-ed.
In his statement, Depp said the situation for him began two years before Heard’s article, when she filed for divorce and obtained a temporary restraining order, claiming Depp had physically abused her during their relationship.
“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. All in the blink of an eye,” Depp wrote.
The Pirates of the Caribbean star described the ‘endless barrage of hateful content’ which stemmed from the ‘false, very serious and criminal allegations’ made by the media, saying the stories had a ‘seismic impact’ on both his life and career.
In 2020, after losing his libel case against The Sun for describing him as a ‘wife beater’, Depp was asked by Warner Bros. to withdraw from the role of Gellert Grindelwald in the Fantastic Beats franchise despite him having already brought the character to life in a previous film.
Depp explained his decision to pursue his defamation case in spite of the ‘legal hurdles’ and ‘worldwide spectacle into [his] life’ came after ‘considerable thought’, adding: “From the very beginning, the goal of bringing this case was to reveal 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 continued.
The actor described himself as being ‘overwhelmed’ by the love and support he has received from the public as the situation continued to unfold, and expressed hope that his determination to ‘have the truth be told’ will have helped other people who have ‘found themselves in [his] situation’.
“I also hope that the position will now return to innocent until proven guilty, both within the courts and in the media,” Depp added.
Depp concluded his statement by promising ‘the best is yet to come’, adding: “Truth never perishes.”
After the jury announced its verdict yesterday (1 June), Heard announced plans to appeal the decision.
Featured Image Credit: Alamy
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