A jury in the United States has ruled actor Amber Heard defamed ex-husband Johnny Depp in a six-week trial that featured explicit and graphic evidence, and testimony detailing how the former Hollywood couple's soured relationship.
The jury also ruled in favour of Heard in some aspects of her counter-suit against Depp.
The jury awarded Depp US$15 million in damages from Heard, and awarded Heard US$2 million in damages for one proven defamation claim.
What you need to know
- The jury found Amber Heard defamed ex-husband Johnny Depp
- The jury awarded Johnny Depp US$15 million in damages from Heard
- The jury also awarded Heard US$2 million in damages
- During the trial Heard accused Depp of violent outbursts including slaps, headbutts and kicks
- Depp accused Heard of being violent, toxic and having a "need for conflict."
The live updates have now finished.
10:25am - Amber Heard was reportedly taunted by Johnny Depp fans as she left court. She did not depart through the main entrance where a crowd of hundreds had gathered but in footage of her leaving through a different exit, flanked by her sister Whitney and several law enforcement officers, some voices can still be heard.
A man appears to yell "boo" in the video.
Heard kept her head down and was silent as she got into a black pickup truck and left the court.
The Washington Post spoke with 57-year-old Diane Yetman who shouted "Liar! Liar!" about the Aquaman star outside the courtroom.
She told the outlet she wanted to "voice her opinion" because Heard "did harm to all the people who are true victims of domestic violence".
Another woman Washington Post spoke to, Sue Williams, took photos of Heard's vehicle as it drove away.
She told the outlet the experience was "a reprieve from all the serious issues - inflation, $6 gas. A little fun."
9:45am - Although the reaction inside the courtroom was relatively muted, outside Johnny Depp fans erupted in a raucous celebration when news of the verdict reached them.
Video shows the crowd, some dressed in Pirates of the Caribbean costumes, chanting "Johnny! Johnny! Johnny!"
They also enthusiastically cheered the actor's lawyers Camille Vasquez and Ben Chew who emerged and gave brief statements before leaving.
9:25am - Actor Johnny Depp might've won his trial but American crisis management and communications expert Eric Rose thinks he might struggle to get further roles in the future.
"From a reputation management perspective, there can be no winners," he said accord to the Associated Press.
"They've bloodied each other up. It becomes more difficult now for studios to hire either actor because you're potentially alienating a large segment of your audience who may not like the fact that you have retained either Johnny or Amber for a specific project because feelings are so strong now."
9:03am - Here are the full details of the outcome of the trial.
8:45am - Ziena Jalil, an independent director and strategic advisor, told AM the the "the lawyers and the streaming media giants" are the winners out of the Johnny Depp versus Amber Heard trial.
She was asked on AM if we should care about the case because it's a conversation about violence and power imbalance and the effects on people.
"I think we should care about domestic violence, I think we should care about power imbalance but I don't think that's what we have seen here," she said.
'I think this was a trial for TV, for entertainment, for consumption. It's the lawyers and the streaming media giants that have actually made the most out of it because the conversation has shifted from domestic violence.
Jalil said the case has taken away from the message of domestic violence.
"I haven't really followed it much apart from the really gory stuff that became prime time news. My children were watching this and they have a debate amongst themselves about who is right and who is wrong," she said.
"It's not about domestic violence, it's about all the crazy stuff they got up to so I think it's been a huge distraction and you would think there would be other ways we could get the message around domestic violence out."
Former Auckland Business Chamber chief executive Michael Barnett told AM he wasn't really interested in the trial.
"I have to say from my immediate perspective, who cares but I think for those two people to walk away and to have aired so much of their personal lives, that to me is the shameful part of it," Michael Barnett told AM.
8:25am - Amber Heard says the disappointment she feels is "beyond words" after a jury ruled she defamed ex-husband Johnny Depp.
The actor broke her silence in a statement posted on Twitter, after a jury awarded Depp US$15 million (NZ$23m) from Heard.
Depp, the 58-year-old Pirates of the Caribbean star, sued Heard for US$50m and argued she defamed him when she called herself "a public figure representing domestic abuse" in a newspaper opinion piece.
Read the full story here.
8:17am - Johnny Depp's lawyers have just spoken outside the Virginia courtroom. They said it's "time to turn a page and look to the future".
"Our judicial system is predicated on each person's right to have his or her's case heard and we were honoured, truly honoured to assist Mr. Depp to ensure his case was fairly considered throughout the trial," lawyer Ben Chew said.
"We are also most pleased that the trial has resonated with so many people in the public who value truth and justice. Now that the jury has reached its conclusive verdict it's time to turn the page and look to the future."
Camille Vasquez, who was another of Depp's lawyers said "they're grateful" to the jury, judge and courtroom staff.
"Today's verdict has confirmed what we have said from the beginning that the claims against Johnny Depp are defamatory and unsupported by any evidence," Vasquez said.
"We are grateful, so grateful to the jury for their careful deliberation. To the judge and the court staff who have devoted an enormous amount of time and resources to this case."
7:50am - Here is the full statement from Johnny Depp:
"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."
"All in the blink of an eye," they continued.
"False, very serious and criminal allegations were levied at me via the media, which triggered an endless barrage of hateful content, although no charges were ever brought against me. It had already traveled around the world twice within a nanosecond and it had a seismic impact on my life and my career," he went on.
"And six years later, the jury gave me my life back. I am truly humbled."
"My decision to pursue this case, knowing very well the height of the legal hurdles that I would be facing and the inevitable, worldwide spectacle into my life, was only made after considerable thought."
"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."
"I am, and have been, overwhelmed by the outpouring of love and the colossal support and kindness from around the world. I hope that my quest to have the truth be told will have helped others, men or women, who have found themselves in my situation, and that those supporting them never give up. I also hope that the position will now return to innocent until proven guilty, both within the courts and in the media," the father of two said.
"I wish to acknowledge the noble work of the Judge, the jurors, the court staff and the Sheriffs who have sacrificed their own time to get to this point, and to my diligent and unwavering legal team who did an extraordinary job in helping me to share the truth."
"The best is yet to come and a new chapter has finally begun. Veritas numquam perit. "Truth never perishes," Depp concluded.
7:45am - Johnny Depp has released a statement following his victory. He said: "The jury gave me my life back. I am truly humbled."
7:41am - Amber Heard has released a statement after she was found to have defamed Johnny Depp.
"I'm heartbroken that the mountain of evidence was still not enough to stand up to the disproportionate power, influence and sway of my ex-husband," Heard said in her statement following the verdict.
"I'm even more disappointed what this verdict means for other women."
7:36am - The jury has ruled actor Amber Heard defamed her ex-husband Johnny Depp in a widely watched six-week trial that featured explicit and graphic evidence and testimony detailing the former Hollywood couple's soured relationship.
The jury awarded Depp US$15 million in damages from Heard.
7:31am - Amber Heard also had a partial win in the case and the jury awarded her US$2 million.
7:23am - The jury has found Amber Heard defamed Johnny Depp.
7:18am -The judge is back in the courtroom.
7:17am - US Entertainment Correspondent for AM, Sam Rubin, said a colleague has told him there has been a "finding of a defamatory statement".
"There is absolutely no question about that and for an up to the minute analysis, a colleague of mine who is an attorney just posted this and I will share it with you," Rubin told AM.
"There has been a finding of a defamatory statement but because the jury didn't properly fill out damages, they're going back to deliberations. Both sides have defamation claims, so we can't say for sure who is winning yet."
7:11am - The judge told the jury she was handing the documents back to them as they needed to fill out compensatory damages. It needed to be at least a dollar, she said.
7:04am - The outcome has been delayed as the jury hadn't filled out the paperwork properly, so the court is now in recess
7:01am - The outcome is expected in the next minute or two.
7am - We have attached the live stream of the trial above for you to watch.
6:57am - Amber Heard and her team of lawyers have arrived in the Fairfax County Circuit Court as they await the outcome of the defamation trial.
Johnny Depp is absent from the courtroom, but his team of lawyers are there waiting for the judge and jury to arrive.
6:53am - Johnny Depp will not be in the courtroom to hear verdict, US media has revealed.
6:50am - The outcome of the Johnny Depp versus Amber Heard defamation trial is just moments away.
It follows more than a month of testimony that's seen the reputation of both actors called into question.
The seven-person civil jury had to come to a unanimous decision to reach each verdict. They deliberated for about 12 hours over three days.
AM US Correspondent Lachlan Cartwright says the eyes of the world are watching.
"I'm hanging on the edge of my seat because this trial captivated the public's attention like no other celebrity trial that I have seen during my run here in America," he told AM.
"The only thing that has come close is the OJ Simpson trial so there is a lot of fallout to come."
6:37am - The outcome of the high profile defamation trial is expected in about 30 minutes.
Lawyer Marie Dyhrberg told AM on Monday there were two things both sides needed to do to win their case.
"They're each suing each other in what we call defamation. For either side to win their case against the other, they have to show firstly that the statements that were made were untrue," Dyhrberg told AM co-host Melissa Chan-Green.
Read the full story here.
6:25am - The jury has reached a decision on the outcome of the Amber Heard, Johnny Depp trial after six weeks.
The decision will be read in Fairfax County Circuit Court in the US state of Virginia at 7am (NZ time), a court spokeswoman said.
6:20am - Kia ora, good morning and welcome to Newshub's live updates of the Amber Heard and Johnny Depp trial outcome for Thursday.
