Amber Heard Claims Trial Wasn’t ‘Fair,’ Opens Up On How The Jury Perceived Johnny Depp

Amber Heard takes the stand in defamation trial from Johnny Depp
(Image credit: (Photo by JIM LO SCALZO / POOL/POOL/AFP via Getty Images))

Amber Heard and Johnny Depp have been making headlines for years thanks to their divorce and subsequent long legal battle. The online discourse reached a fever pitch when their defamation cases against each other came to trial, with cameras streaming every moment in the courtroom. In the end the verdict was mostly not in Heard’s favor, as she was found guilty on all three counts of defamation and ordered to pay her ex-husband a whopping $10.3 million. In a new interview the Aquaman actress claims the trial wasn’t “fair” and opens up on how the jury perceived Depp.

Amber Heard recently did a sit-down interview with NBC journalist Savannah Guthrie about the verdict in her defamation case with Johnny Depp. That interview is coming out in two-parts, but Today revealed a few choice clips of the conversation. In it Heard addressed how she thought the court of public opinion and social media influenced what the jury thought of her, saying:

I don’t care what one thinks about me or what judgments you want to make about what happened in the privacy of my own home, in my marriage, behind closed doors. I don’t presume the average person should know those things. And so I don’t take it personally. But even somebody who is sure I’m deserving of all this hate and vitriol, even if you think that I’m lying, you still couldn’t look me in the eye and tell me that you think on social media there’s been a fair representation. You cannot tell me that you think that this has been fair.

There you have it. Amber Heard seems to understand that folks will form their own opinions about her as a result of the defamation trial, but she’s pointing out how social media treated her. Thanks to the cameras in the courtroom, the public was able to dissect every moment. And as a result, countless TikToks and memes about her testimony have circulated around the internet. 

Later in the same interview, Savannah Guthrie asked Amber Heard how she felt about the jury who ultimately came down so hard on her. Rather than being angry, the 36 year-old actress claimed she understood their verdict based on the weeks of testimony that claimed she wasn’t trustworthy. As Heard put it,

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

It remains to be seen where the ongoing legal situation goes from here. If Johnny Depp and his team pursue the $10 million, it would no doubt put an insane financial burden on Amber Heard. Although there’s been some reports that the money might be dropped if she chooses not to appeal the jury’s decision. Only time will tell how this ultimately shakes out.

Amber Heard can be seen in Aquaman 2 on March 17th, 2023. In the meantime, check out the 2022 movie release dates to plan your next movie experience. 

Corey Chichizola
Movies Editor

Corey was born and raised in New Jersey. Graduated with degrees theater and literature from Ramapo College of New Jersey. After working in administrative theater for a year in New York, he started as the Weekend Editor at CinemaBlend. He's since been able to work himself up to reviews, phoners, and press junkets-- and is now able to appear on camera with some of his favorite actors... just not as he would have predicted as a kid. He's particularly proud of covering horror franchises like Scream and Halloween, as well as movie musicals like West Side Story. Favorite interviews include Steven Spielberg, Spike Lee, Jamie Lee Curtis, and more.