Skip to content 
Search

Latest Stories

Depp celebrates defamation verdict, Heard ‘heartbroken’

A jury awarded Johnny Depp more than $15 million on Wednesday in his libel lawsuit against ex-wife Amber Heard, a legal win for the actor.

Depp celebrates defamation verdict, Heard ‘heartbroken’

A jubilant Johnny Depp said Wednesday that a US jury “gave me my life back” by overwhelmingly taking his side in a bitter defamation battle with his ex-wife Amber Heard over mutual allegations of domestic abuse.

The jury, after a six-week trial, found that Depp and Heard had defamed each other, but weighed in far more strongly with the "Pirates of the Caribbean" star.


The 58-year-old Depp, who lost a libel case against The Sun tabloid in London in 2020 for calling him a "wife-beater," celebrated the split verdict in the case as a victory while Heard said she was “heartbroken.”

The five-man, two-woman jury, after deliberating over three days, unanimously found Heard liable for all three counts of defamation against Depp and awarded him $10 million in compensatory damages and $5 million in punitive damages.

Virginia law caps punitive damages at $350,000 meaning the total award is $10.35 million.

The 36-year-old Heard prevailed on just one of the three counterclaims she made against Depp and the jury awarded her compensatory damages -- but a much lower amount of $2 million.

A somber Heard, her eyes downcast, listened impassively as the verdict was read out in Fairfax County Circuit Court near the US capital.

"The disappointment I feel today is beyond words," she said in a statement. "I'm heartbroken that the mountain of evidence still was not enough to stand up to the disproportionate power, influence, and sway of my ex-husband.

"I'm even more disappointed with what this verdict means for other women," she said. "It is a setback. It sets back the clock to a time when a woman who spoke up and spoke out could be publicly shamed and humiliated.

"It sets back the idea that violence against women is to be taken seriously."

Depp, who has been in England for the past few days, was not in court for the verdict in the high-profile trial that hinged on lurid claims and counterclaims of domestic abuse between the Hollywood celebrities.

But he welcomed the verdict in a statement posted on Instagram which quickly received millions of "likes."

"Six years ago, my life, the life of my children, the lives of those closest to me, and also, the lives of the people, who for many, many years have supported and believed in me were forever changed," Depp said.

"The jury gave me my life back," he said. "From the very beginning, the goal of bringing this case was to reveal the truth, regardless of the outcome.

"The best is yet to come and a new chapter has finally begun."

A few dozen onlookers and Depp supporters waited outside the courthouse in sweltering heat for the verdict, including a man sporting a Captain Jack Sparrow pirate hat.

A Depp fan held a sign reading: "No matter what happens today, Johnny, you are a winner!!! And the whole world knows the TRUTH!!!"

Depp filed suit against Heard over an article she wrote for The Washington Post in December 2018 in which she described herself as a "public figure representing domestic abuse."

The Texas-born Heard, who had a starring role in "Aquaman," did not name Depp in the piece, but he sued her for implying he was a domestic abuser and sought $50 million in damages.

Heard countersued for $100 million, saying she was defamed by statements made by Depp's lawyer, Adam Waldman, who told the Daily Mail her abuse claims were a "hoax."

Both needed to prove the statements were defamatory and, to win compensatory or punitive damages, the jury needed to find they were made with actual malice -- with knowledge that they were false or with "reckless disregard" for the truth.

Dozens of witnesses testified during the trial, including bodyguards, Hollywood executives, agents, entertainment industry experts, doctors, friends and relatives.

Depp and Heard each spent days on the witness stand during the televised trial, which was attended by hundreds of fans of the "Pirates" star and accompanied by a #JusticeForJohnnyDepp campaign on social media.

Video and audio recordings of heated, profanity-laced arguments between the couple were played for the jury, which was also shown photographs of injuries allegedly suffered by Heard during their volatile relationship.

Hours of testimony were devoted to a grisly finger injury that Depp suffered while filming an installment of "Pirates" in Australia in March 2015.

Depp, a three-time Oscar nominee, claimed the tip of a finger was severed when Heard threw a vodka bottle at him. Heard said she did not know how the injury occurred.

Both agreed that Depp went on to scrawl messages on walls, lampshades and mirrors using the bloody digit.

Heard said Depp would become a physically and sexually abusive "monster" during alcohol- and drug-fueled binges and resisted her repeated efforts to curb his drinking and drug use.

Depp testified that it was Heard who was frequently violent and said it had been "brutal" to listen to "outlandish" accusations of domestic abuse.

Heard, who was married to Depp from 2015 to 2017, obtained a restraining order against him in May 2016, citing domestic violence.

Both sides claimed that the abuse accusations and surrounding publicity had damaged their Hollywood careers.

More For You

Sacha Baron Cohen Mephisto

Sacha Baron Cohen’s Mephisto confronts Riri Williams in the Ironheart finale

Sacha Baron Cohen’s Mephisto finally enters the MCU in 'Ironheart' twist that changes everything

Quick highlights:

• Mephisto, played by Sacha Baron Cohen, debuts in the final episode of Marvel’s Ironheart.

• The villain tempts Riri Williams with the resurrection of her deceased friend Natalie.

Keep ReadingShow less
Priyanka Chopra and Nick Jonas

Priyanka Chopra and Nick Jonas attended Day 3 of Wimbledon 2025

Instagram/nickjonas/Getty Images

Priyanka Chopra and Nick Jonas cosy up at Wimbledon 2025 after 'Heads of State' London screening

Quick highlights:

  • Priyanka Chopra and Nick Jonas attended day 3 of Wimbledon 2025 on 2 July, joining a host of celebrities at the iconic London event.
  • The couple were spotted smiling and sharing a rare PDA moment inside the exclusive Parkside Suite at No. 1 Court.
  • Priyanka also posed with John Cena, her co-star from Heads of State, which hit cinemas a day earlier on 1 July.
  • Their London appearance comes after a private date night and screening for the Amazon Prime Video action-thriller.

Bollywood star Priyanka Chopra and musician Nick Jonas made a striking appearance at Wimbledon 2025 on Tuesday, 2 July, as they joined a string of celebrities on day 3 of the world-famous tennis tournament. The couple turned heads in coordinated outfits and shared a rare display of affection while seated in the elite Parkside Suite at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club.

  Priyanka Chopra and Nick Jonas photographed at the Wimbledon 2025Getty Images

Keep ReadingShow less
Abhishek Bachchan

Abhishek Bachchan says Amitabh told him he could not even say a line properly on Sarkar set

Getty Images

Abhishek Bachchan reveals Amitabh crushed him with a brutal remark during 'Sarkar' shoot

Quick highlights:

  • Abhishek Bachchan said he was “petrified” during his first scene with Amitabh Bachchan in Sarkar.
  • After the shoot, Amitabh scolded him in the car, saying, “Dialogue bolna aata nahi hai tumhe.
  • The 2005 political thriller marked their first major film together.
  • Abhishek will next be seen in Kaalidhar Laapata, premiering on 4 July on Zee5.

Abhishek Bachchan has opened up about a nerve-wracking experience from the sets of Sarkar, where his father Amitabh Bachchan gave him a blunt lesson on acting after their very first scene together. Speaking in an interview, Abhishek recalled the tension and pressure he felt on the first day of the shoot back in 2004 and the silence that followed until a sharp comment from his dad shattered it.

 Abhishek Bachchan Abhishek Bachchan reveals Amitabh crushed him with brutal remark during Sarkar shootGetty Images

Keep ReadingShow less
BTS

BTS attend Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve With Ryan Seacrest 2020

Getty Images

BTS confirm 2026 comeback with new album and world tour after completing military service

Quick highlights:

• BTS will release a new group album in spring 2026, followed by a world tour.
• All seven members have now completed South Korea’s mandatory military service.
• The announcement was made during their 1 July livestream, their first group appearance since 2022.
• The band will begin regrouping in the U.S. this month to start production.

BTS have officially confirmed their long-anticipated comeback. The global K-pop phenomenon announced that a new group album will be released in spring 2026, alongside a worldwide tour, marking their first full-group activity since 2022.

Keep ReadingShow less
south asian cinema

Raw, grounded, and impossible to ignore; these films captured the year’s deepest emotions

Youtube Screengrabs

Top 10 South Asian films from 2025 that hit harder than expected

Quick highlights:

 
  • These 10 films weren’t just hits; they started conversations and held up a mirror
  •  
  • Malayalam cinema leads the list, with 4 standout films pushing boundaries
  •  
  • Stories tackle caste, grief, gender, and class without sugar-coating
  •  
  • From indie gems to box office smashes, they prove truth sells too

Some films punch you in the gut. Others sit quietly with you after the credits roll, refusing to leave. This year, South Asian cinema has delivered both, and more. It hasn't been about larger-than-life heroes or formula plots. It's been about discomfort. Tenderness. Grief. Guts. From sun-drenched fields in rural Maharashtra to gritty courtrooms in Kerala, filmmakers across the region are telling stories with a kind of bravery that feels new and honestly overdue.

Here’s a list of 10 films from 2025 that haven’t just made money but also moved people. If you haven't seen these yet, fix that.

Keep ReadingShow less