Amber Heard Says She Doesn’t ‘Blame’ Jurors For Siding With Johnny Depp—But Says Trial Wasn’t ‘Fair’

Topline

Amber Heard said she does not “blame” the jury for siding with Johnny Depp and criticized the social media representation of the trial in her first interview since jurors found the actress defamed Depp and ordered her to pay $10.4 million in damages.

Key Facts

In a preview clip of the interview posted Monday, Heard told NBC’s Savannah Guthrie she understands why the jury sided with Depp, adding he is a “beloved character” and “people feel they know him.”

Heard asked how could the jury “not come to that conclusion” after watching over three weeks of testimony “about how I was a non-credible person” and told “not to believe a word that came out of my mouth.”

Heard said she didn’t take it personally, saying she doesn’t presume for the average person to know what happened behind closed doors in her marriage—but she did add she thought the social media frenzy was unfair.

Crucial Quote

“Even somebody who is sure I’m deserving of all this hate and vitriol, even if you think that I’m lying, you still couldn’t look me in the eye and tell me that you think on social media there’s been a fair representation,” Heard said. “You cannot tell me that you think that this has been fair.”

Key Background

The Depp-Heard trial lasted for more than six weeks, and stemmed from an op-ed Heard published in the Washington Post in 2018. Depp claimed the piece insinuated he abused her, though he was not named in the op-ed. Depp sued his ex-wife for defamation and sought $50 million in damages. The jury found Heard defamed Depp and awarded the actor $10 million in compensatory damages and $5 million in punitive damages, though the punitive damages were knocked down to $350,000, the maximum amount allowed under Virginia state law, where the trial took place. Heard was awarded $2 million after she won part of a countersuit against Depp. Heard’s lawyer, Elaine Bredehoft, said earlier this month Heard cannot afford to pay the $10 million judgment.

What To Watch For

Heard’s full interview will air Tuesday and Wednesday on TODAY, as well as on Dateline Friday at 8 p.m.

Further Reading

Amber Heard says she doesn’t ‘blame’ the jury for siding with ex-husband Johnny Depp (NBC News)

Jury Rules Amber Heard Defamed Johnny Depp In Domestic Abuse Op-Ed (Forbes)

Amber Heard’s Lawyer Says Actress Can’t Pay $10 Million Judgment To Johnny Depp (Forbes)