Johnny Depp sued the publisher of The Sun in London over a 2018 article calling him a wife beater and lost in November 2020, when the High Court found the words substantially true. In Virginia, a jury in 2022 found that Amber Heard defamed Depp in a 2018 Washington Post article and found for Heard on her one counterclaim count. The parties settled in December 2022 while appeals were pending.
Both cases are over. The English claim ended when the Court of Appeal refused permission to appeal in March 2021. The Virginia case ended in a December 2022 settlement under which Heard was reported to pay Depp $1 million, and Depp's lawyers said both sides would dismiss their appeals.
Johnny Depp and Amber Heard separated on or around May 22, 2016, according to the English High Court judgment.
Their divorce in Los Angeles County was embodied in a marital settlement agreement dated August 15, 2016. A witness for Depp told the English court that Heard received $7 million under it.
Depp's pleaded case in England said the restraining order Heard obtained in 2016 was temporary and that her application for restraining orders was dismissed with prejudice on August 16, 2016.
The Sun's website published a column by Dan Wootton under a headline describing Depp as a wife beater. From about 7:58 a.m. on April 28 the headline was changed to refer to an assault claim, and the print edition carried the amended headline.
Depp issued a libel claim in the High Court against News Group Newspapers and Wootton. NGN's defence was that the allegation was true.
Heard wrote an article in the Washington Post headlined, in part, that she spoke up against sexual violence and faced the culture's wrath.
Mr Justice Nicklin refused the defendants' application to stay the English action.
Depp sued Heard for defamation in the Circuit Court of Fairfax County, Virginia, over the Washington Post article, according to the English judgment.
The English trial, scheduled for March 2020, was adjourned mainly because of the coronavirus pandemic and moved to July.
The trial before Mr Justice Nicol ran on 16 days between July 7 and July 28, 2020. Heard was NGN's principal witness and Depp denied ever assaulting her, contending that she assaulted him.
Mr Justice Nicol dismissed the claim, finding NGN had shown the words were substantially true. He examined 14 alleged incidents, and the Court of Appeal later summarised that he found Depp assaulted Heard on all but two.
Lord Justice Underhill and Lord Justice Dingemans refused Depp permission to appeal and refused his application to rely on further evidence about Heard's credibility, after a hearing on March 18, 2021.
The jury trial of Depp's three defamation counts and Heard's defamation counterclaim began in Fairfax County Circuit Court, sitting on days through May 27.
The jury found for Depp on all three of his remaining counts, awarding $10 million in compensatory and $5 million in punitive damages, and for Heard on her counterclaim count, awarding $2 million in compensatory damages.
Chief Judge Penney S. Azcarate reduced the punitive award to $350,000 under Virginia's statutory cap and entered judgment of $10,350,000 for Depp and $2,000,000 for Heard, each with 6 percent interest.
Heard's lawyers moved to set aside the verdict on Depp's three counts, dismiss his complaint and investigate potential improper juror service.
Chief Judge Azcarate denied Heard's post-trial motions in a written order, finding no fraud or wrongdoing in jury selection and that Heard could not show prejudice from the juror issue, CNN and AP reported.
Heard's lawyers filed notice that she would appeal the $10.35 million judgment and the post-verdict rulings to the Court of Appeals of Virginia. A spokesperson said the court made errors. Depp's spokesperson said they were confident the verdict would stand.
Depp's legal team filed an appeal of the $2 million verdict awarded to Heard on her counterclaim, ET reported.
Heard's lawyers filed her opening brief as appellant in the Court of Appeals of Virginia, Record No. 1062-22-4.
Heard announced she had settled the Virginia case, and AFP reported she agreed to pay Depp $1 million and was dropping her appeal. She said the settlement was not an admission. Depp's lawyers said the judgment remained in place and that he would donate the money, AFP reported, and that both sides would dismiss their appeals on December 22, Courthouse News reported.
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Last updated 31 October 2026. Spotted an error? See corrections. Every event links to the record it comes from. Allegations are attributed to whoever made them.