Trial River’s verdict on defamation of ex-spouse Depp-Heard may come as a surprise.
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The two ex-spouses were found guilty of defamation and convicted, albeit in very different proportions. Amber Heard is ordered to pay $10.35 million in compensatory and punitive damages to Johnny Depp, who must pay his accuser $2 million in compensatory damages.
The huge difference in verdicts may seem incomprehensible, starting with Amber Heard, who didn’t hesitate to explain on NBC News that the trial had been influenced by social media.
One of the seven jury members has agreed, on condition of anonymity, but is known to be a man, to speak to an ABC journalist.
And the reason has nothing to do with Twitter or TikTok: Amber Heard just didn’t convince her and her statements seemed to show her contradictions between her actions and the facts mentioned.
“They had a few arguments. They yelled at each other. I don’t think that makes either of them right. This is what happens when we fight. But to come to what she claimed, there wasn’t enough or any evidence to support her statement. If you are an abused woman, why are you buying the other “the attacker” a knife? If you really want Johnny Depp to get drugs, then why are you doing them in front of him? he wonders.
The material “evidence” presented by the actress also underscores the fragility of the testimony.
Amber Heard describes Johnny Depp as a heavy drug and alcohol user and uses a photo of the collapsed actor as evidence.
“But, the juror said, if you mix alcohol with marijuana, you’re going to end up like this — you’ll pass out. We’ve talked at length about all the drugs she claims he takes, and most of them are drugs that turn you on. You don’t become violent with these drugs. You become a zombie as shown in the pictures. »
Not more compelling are the photos of Amber Heard covered in bruises.
“She never leaves the house without makeup, but to file a restraining order in court, she doesn’t wear makeup and her publicist is with her. Those things add up and it’s starting to be hard to believe,” said the jury member, who no longer appreciated Amber Heard’s stance in court and questioned his sincerity.
“It was like she could switch from one feeling to another with a snap of her fingers. She answered a question, started crying and two seconds later she was freezing. It didn’t look natural,” he said, explaining that the jury dubbed it “crocodile tears.”
The seven jurors (five men, two women) also disapproved that Amber Heard withheld the divorce money when she announced she had donated that $7 million to charities.
Not only did she lie – as she had claimed in an interview to have given the entire sum despite paying only a tiny part of it – but also the excuse that took her to court (having to keep the money to fighting back a lawsuit by Johnny Depp) didn’t fit the chronology of facts.
“That she didn’t give much was hypocritical,” the juror commented.
He also spoke about Amber Heard’s post-trial comments, which the jury accused the jury of being manipulated and influenced by social media, mostly in favor of Johnny Depp.
“That’s not true. Social media doesn’t affect us. We focused on the evidence. We didn’t consider what was happening outside the court. (…) There were serious allegations and a lot of money at stake, we don’t have it taken lightly, ”he stressed, specifying that neither he nor at least three other members of the jury did not have a Twitter account.
That poor impression and the weakness of her argument and evidence therefore earned Amber Heard the right to large punitive damages from which Johnny Depp is exempt.
The actress, who in the filmed interview she gave NBC News, says she wants “people to see me as a person” could have an opportunity to be more convincing with a new jury, as his attorney has announced , appeal assessment.
The call has yet to be answered. Johnny Depp, who lost his defamation suit against the Sun in the UK and in which Amber Heard testified, had his appeal rejected.