What to expect from Johnny Depp, Amber Heard trial, ahead of verdict

Jurors began deliberation in the high-profile celebrity defamation suit of Johnny Depp v/s Amber Heard on May 27. The verdict is expected to be delivered on Tuesday (EST). Here are the possible verdicts that one can expect.

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The almost month-long courtroom drama of Johnny Depp, Amber Heard's trial which was being heard at the Fairfax Courthouse in Virginia, is finally coming to an end. The closing arguments in the million-dollar defamation suit filed by Depp against his ex-wife Heard were presented on Friday after which the jurors have started to begin the deliberation in the matter. Ahead of the verdict, which is expected to be pronounced today on Tuesday, here are the possible verdicts that may be delivered.

Johnny Depp sued Amber Heard with a $50 million defamation suit over an op-ed that Heard wrote in the Washington Post over domestic violence. Although Heard did not mention Depp’s name in the piece, his lawyers told the court that it did tarnish his image. In return for Depp’s suit, Heard filed a countersuit of $100 million.

After six-week-long court proceedings, the trial came to an end on May 27, after both the lawyers presented their closing arguments. The jurors were then retired and asked to deliberate their verdict on whether or not Amber Heard’s op-ed defamed Johnny Depp’s, which is expected to be delivered today.

The jurors must come up with a  unanimous verdict. If the jurors decided to rule in favour of Johnny Deep, then Amber Heard will have to pay him $50 million, the compensation that Depp has sought. The jurors, however, will decide whether she needs to more or less than $50 million.

In case Johnny Depp wins the legal battle against Amber Heard and is not paid the full amount, his team of lawyers would still hail such an outcome as vindication for its arguments and would further pronounce Depp’s reputation restored. There is also a possibility of Amber Heard facing a prison term for perjury as this is a civil, not a criminal case.

On the contrary, if the jurors deliberate the judgement in favour of Amber Heard, then Johnny Depp can potentially be asked to pay her $100 million, that she sought through the countersuit as damages.

Again, the jurors would be able to decide whether the compensation amount asked by Amber Heard is too high or insufficient and recommend an adjustment accordingly that Johnny Depp will have to pay.