The 36-year-old actress updated an Instagram post and announced that she has made the ‘difficult’ decision of finally settling the defamation case brought against her by her ex-husband in Virginia.
“It’s important for me to say that I never chose this. I defended my truth and in doing so my life as a I knew it was destroyed. The vilification I have faced on social media is an amplified version of the ways in which women are re-victimised when they come forward,” Heard wrote in her latest Instagram update.
Adding that her decision is not an act of concession, she continued, “Now I finally have an opportunity to emancipate myself from something I attempted to leave over six years ago and on terms I can agree to. I have made no admission. This is not an act of concession. There are no restrictions or gags with respect to my voice moving forward.”
The Aquaman actress states that she has lost faith in the American legal system, where her claims and testimonies were made fun of and never taken seriously.
“I make this decision having lost faith in the American legal system, where my unprotected testimony served as entertainment and social media fodder,” she penned.
“When I stood before a judge in the UK, I was vindicated by a robust, impartial and fair system, where I was protected from having to give the worst moments of my testimony in front of the world’s media, and where the court found that I was subjected to domestic and sexual violence.”
“In the US, however, I exhausted almost all my resources in advance of and during a trial in which I was subjected to a courtroom that in which abundant, direct evidence that corroborated my testimony was excluded and in which popularity and power mattered more than reason and due process.”
She noted, “In the interim I was exposed to a type of humiliation that I simply cannot re-live. Even if my US appeal is successful, the best outcome would be a re-trial where a new jury would have to consider the evidence again. I simply cannot go through that for a third time.”
The Rum Diary actress said that she believes her time is precious, and she must not waste any more of it by continuing to engage in the arduous and expensive legal process.
“Time is precious and I want to spend my time productively and purposefully. For too many years I have been caged in an arduous and expensive legal process, which has shown itself unable to protect me and my right to free speech. I cannot afford to risk an impossible bill – one that is not just financial, but also psychological, physical and emotional. Women shouldn’t have to face abuse or bankruptcy for speaking her truth, but unfortunately it not uncommon.”
Heard also revealed that she has been spending her time doing stuff that helped her in healing from her painful divorce from Depp, “work that exists in realms in which I feel seen, heard and believed, and in which I know I can effect change.”
“I will not be threatened, disheartened or dissuaded by what happened from speaking the truth,” she wrote. “No one can, and no one will take that from me. My voice forever remains the most valuable asset I have.”
At the end of her lengthy statement, the actress showed her gratitude to her legal teams who fought for her in court. She also thanked her supporters during the trial and said she felt heard and seen because of them.
“I’d like to thank my outstanding appellate and original trial teams for their relentless hard work. I want to thank everyone who has supported me and turn my attention to the growing support that I’ve felt and seen publicly in the months since trial, and the efforts that have been made to show solidarity with my story.”
“Any survivor knows that the ability to tell their story often feels like the only relief, and I cannot find enough words to tell you the hope your belief in me inspires, not just for me, but for all of you.”
She concluded, “Thank you. See you soon.”
Her announcement came almost six months after the jury’s decision in Virginia Court, where they ruled in favor of the Pirates of the Caribbean actor.
The seven-member jury unanimously announced its verdict, stating that the actress had defamed her ex-husband through her 2018 op-ed and wrongfully accused him.
The Aquaman actress wrote in the Washington Post that she was domestically mistreated. Although she didn’t explicitly name Johnny Depp in her op-ed, it was pretty evident she was blaming him.
In response, Johnny sued her for fifty million dollars for wrongly accusing him of being a horrible husband.
Heard then countersued him for a hundred million dollars by accusing him of setting up a “dirty campaign” against her and calling her claims” A blatant lie.”
According to the verdict, Amber was supposed to pay 10 million dollars in damages to Johnny Depp.
Let us know your views on this latest update.
Sources: Instagram
