Amber Heard says she doesn’t blame the jury who awarded Johnny Depp more than $10 million ($A14 million) in her first post-ruling interview after a controversial six-week libel lawsuit.
“I don’t blame them,” Heard told NBC’s Today co-host Savannah Guthrie in an interview clip that aired Monday. “I actually understand. He’s a beloved character, and people feel like they know him. He’s a fantastic actor.”
The Today show plans to air more of the interview with Heard on Tuesday and Wednesday. The interview airs nearly two weeks after the verdict, in which Heard was also awarded $2 million ($A2.9 million) for her allegation that one of Depp’s attorneys defamed her.
Depp sued Heard for libel in Virginia in December 2018 op-ed she wrote in The Washington Post, describing herself as “a public figure who represents domestic violence.” His lawyers said he was defamed by the article, even though his name was never mentioned.
The verdicts ended a televised trial that Depp hoped would help restore his reputation. However, it turned out to be a spectacle that opened a window into a fleeting marriage, and both actors emerged with dim prospects for their careers.
Guthrie pressed Heard on her credibility and what it meant to the judges in the clips released Monday. “There’s no polite way of saying it. The jury looked at the evidence you presented. They listened to your testimony and didn’t believe you,” she said. “They thought you were lying.”
Heard replied, “How could they not come to that conclusion? They had sat in those chairs and heard nonstop, relentless testimonials from paid employees for three weeks” and witnessed the actor described as “randos” or random people.
Depp, who has not yet given a formal interview about the case, said the verdict “gave me my life back”. Heard said in a statement following the ruling she was heartbroken. In contrast, her lawyer said in a separate Today interview that her client had been “demonized” on social media and that she plans to appeal the verdict.
“I don’t care what anyone thinks of me or what judgment you want to make about what happened in the privacy of my home, in my marriage, behind closed doors. I don’t think the average person should have to do those things. So I don’t take it personally,” Heard told Guthrie.
“You still can’t look me in the eye and tell me you think there’s been fair representation on social media. You can’t tell me you think this has been fair,” Heard said.