The jury in the civil court case is currently deliberating, but regardless of the outcome neither party is in danger of criminal charges or prison time.
The court case between former partners Johnny Depp and Amber Heard began in 2018 when the latter authored
an op-ed in The Washington Post describing herself as “a public figure representing domestic abuse.”
Although he was not mentioned in the piece,
Depp has alleged that Heard defamed him in the process of writing the article and sued her for loss of earnings.
The case has been heard in a civil court, rather than as a criminal case, so the jury will not be asked to decide guilt and innocence.
Instead, the jurors will simply decide which side is in the right on the balance of probability.
Depp’s legal team are claiming that his ex-wife defamed him, if the jury find that this was the case then they will rule in his favour.
If not, Heard will be the victor in court.
Civil court cases, also known as a lawsuit, are primarily about damages and Depp is demanding a fairly substantial payment for what he believes was a misrepresentation of their relationship.