Jury sides with Depp, awards him $15 million in damages

A jury in Fairfax County, Virginia, has issued a verdict in Johnny Depp's defamation case against his ex-wife Amber Heard. The seven-member jury sided with Depp, finding Heard's comments in The Washington Post to be defamatory.

The seven-member jury, which began deliberating on Friday, said it sided with Depp in a lawsuit against Heard over her Washington Post column about domestic violence. Depp sued Heard for $50 million in defamation, while Heard countersued for $100 million.

Judge Penney Azcarate handed down the verdict at the courthouse in the presence of Heard. Depp did not attend the verdict, but was performing at a concert in the UK.

The trial lasted six weeks, with both parties presenting their cases to a jury. The jury was asked to decide whether three statements Heard made in her Washington Post column constituted defamation. The jurors were also asked to determine whether they favored either party for damages. The jury awarded Depp $15 million in damages, but also awarded Heard $2 million in punitive damages.