Johnny Depp has joined TikTok days after his legal victory against his ex-wife Amber Heard in their widely publicised defamation trial.
As of Monday evening, the actor had over 1.6 million followers on the account with ‘Occasional Thespian’ in its bio. Depp has not followed anyone else on the account or liked any of their postings.
Depp created the account just days after a Virginia jury awarded him more than $10 million in a libel suit against Heard over a 2018 opinion article she wrote for The Washington Post.
Heard in the article referred to herself as a “public figure representing domestic abuse” but did not name Depp; Depp’s legal team however argued that Heard “concocted the story in hopes of generating positive publicity and to advance her career.”
Celebrating his win, Depp wrote on Instagram and Facebook, “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.”
“And six years later, the jury gave me my life back. I am truly humbled. From the very beginning, the goal of bringing this case was to reveal the truth, regardless of the outcome.”
“Speaking the truth was something that I owed to my children and to all those who have remained steadfast in their support of me. I feel at peace knowing I have finally accomplished that.”
Depp’s $15 million in damages was reduced to $10.4 million by the judge due to state law limitations on punitive damages.
On the other hand, Heard had been awarded $2 million by the jury for damages stemming from remarks made by Depp’s lawyer. In her statement following the jury’s verdict, she wrote, “It’s a setback.”
“It sets back the clock to a time when a woman who spoke up and spoke out could be publicly humiliated. It sets back the idea that violence against women is to be taken seriously.”(The Guardian)
•PHOTO: Johnny Depp
