Victory for Victims of False Allegations
If you have been watching the news or checking social media lately, you would have seen the flood of articles and posts about the Depp v Heard trial in the United States. The multi-million-dollar defamation case between actor Johnny Depp and actress Amber Heard has sparked attention internationally and prompted commentary about the immeasurable damage false allegations can cause to a person’s reputation. The subject of the trial was an opinion piece written by Ms Heard in 2018, claiming she was a victim of domestic violence. Although she did not name Mr Depp as her abuser, the inference could be drawn by the reader that she was referring to her ex-husband Mr Depp.
During the course of the trial, it was alleged that Mr Depp’s reputation had suffered because of the defamatory article, and he had ultimately lost work as a result. One of the questions for the jury was to determine whether Mr Depp was defamed by the contents of the article. After six long weeks the jury has returned with a verdict, awarding Mr Depp $10 million USD in compensatory damages and a further $5 million USD in punitive damages. In a statement released following the verdict, Mr Depp wrote that he had been given his life back, and that he hopes “the position will now return to innocent until proven guilty, both within the courts and in the media.”
Recently, Principal Lawyer Rowan King wrote: “I do not mind who they are or what it is alleged they have done, I put those things aside and focus specifically on the burden of proof and the evidence in each and every case.” At RK Law, we fight to defend your future. If you have been the subject of false domestic violence allegations; criminal charges or Family allegations – protect your future and contact our office today.