Johnny Depp lawyer Camille Vasquez reacts to Amber Heard settlement statement
Johnny Depp lawyers Benjamin Chew and Camille Vasquez have reacted to Amber Heard statement regarding settlement of legal battle with her former husband.
According to AFP, Johnny Depp and Amber Heard have settled their acrimonious defamation case, they said Monday, with the actress agreeing to pay her former husband $1 million over claims he physically abused her.
In a post on Instagram, Heard said she was dropping an appeal against the $10 million payout she had been ordered to make by a jury because she “simply cannot go through” another trial.
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“After a great deal of deliberation I have made a very difficult decision to settle the defamation case,” she said.
In a legal battle involving suits and countersuits, a Virginia jury found Depp and Heard both liable for defamation — but sided more strongly with the Pirates of the Carribean star following an intense six-week trial riding on bitterly contested allegations of domestic abuse.
The jury awarded $10.35 million in damages to Depp, and $2 million to Heard.
Lawyers for 59-year-old Depp hailed the settlement.
“We are pleased to formally close the door on this painful chapter for Mr. Depp, who made clear throughout this process that his priority was about bringing the truth to light,” attorneys Benjamin Chew and Camille Vasquez said.
“The jury´s unanimous decision and the resulting judgement in Mr. Depp´s favor against Ms. Heard remain fully in place.
“The payment of $1 million — which Mr. Depp is pledging and will (actually) donate to charities — reinforces Ms. Heard´s acknowledgement of the conclusion of the legal system´s rigorous pursuit for justice.” (Web Desk/AFP)
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