Amber Heard interview – live: Actor tells Today Show she doesn’t blame jury for Johnny Depp verdict

Following the verdict in the dueling defamation suits filed by Amber Heard and Johnny Depp, the op-ed at the centre of his claim against her has been amended.

As a public figure, Depp faced a high bar to win his libel lawsuit against Heard. According to seven unanimous jurors, he cleared it.

Depp’s victory was not absolute, though. Jurors also concluded that part of Heard’s counterclaim had merits.

Here is a look at each count jurors considered:

According to stats collected by data company Morning Consult, Depp’s popularity significantly dropped post-trial, particularly among baby boomers and men.

In an April survey, US adults with “very” or “somewhat” favourable views of Depp landed at 68 per cent. However, in June, this number had dropped to 56 per cent.

Among baby boomers, Depp’s favorability rating fell from 59 per cent in April to 37 per cent in June.

Depp’s favorability with younger respondents apparently remained nearly the same, with only a two point decrease among Gen Z adults, from its original 72 per cent in April.

After an explosive six-week libel trial followed by millions on social media and live TV, Johnny Depp and Amber Heard each face an uphill battle: trying to rebuild their images and careers.

Depp already has a head start, with a jury verdict Wednesday largely favoring his narrative, that his ex-wife defamed him by accusing him of abusing her.

“Depp has a hill to climb. Heard has a mountain to climb,” said Eric Dezenhall, a crisis mitigator in Washington with no involvement in the case.

There’s a fair argument to be made that no matter which way the jury went in the Johnny Depp-Amber Heard defamation case, Heard — and domestic abuse survivors at large — had already lost. Certainly, the weeks and weeks of social media abuse, the humiliation, and the relived trauma Heard endured throughout this highly public trial would be enough on its own to have a chilling effect on future domestic abuse survivors. But the verdict still matters. And it especially matters because Heard never asked for any of this: Lest we forget, Depp sued her.

The Independent’s Inga Parkel reports:

Depp’s legal team last week denied taking a “victory lap” by making TV appearances following his win in his blockbuster defamation case against Heard.

Attorneys Camile Vasquez and Ben Chew were grilled by Good Morning America host George Stephanopoulos on 8 June in one of their first televised interviews since their client emerged victorious in his defamation case against his ex-wife.

The Independent’s Johanna Chisholm reports:

In a clip from the interview released Monday, Heard said she “understands” why jurors ruled in favour of Depp.

“I don’t blame them. I actually understand. He’s a beloved character and people feel they know him. He’s a fantastic actor,” she said.

The Independent’s Gustaf Kilander has more:

A spokesperson for Heard offered responded to the news of her first TV interview in a statement to The Independent:

“Johnny Depp’s legal team blanketed the media for days after the verdict with numerous statements and interviews on television, and Depp himself did the same on social media.

“Ms. Heard simply intended to respond to what they aggressively did last week; she did so by expressing her thoughts and feelings, much of which she was not allowed to do on the witness stand.”