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Preserved draft research. Source checks in the original pack were often headline-only. Read these notes as material to verify, not a published account.
Prepared in the supplied September 2026 research pack. No site publication date. Claims and outcomes below remain the original draft’s wording.
Johnny Depp lost a libel case in London in 2020. Less than two years later, a jury in Virginia found in his favor in a defamation case against Amber Heard. People still ask how both things can be true.
The answer comes down to who was sued, what had to be proved, and who made the decision. This explainer covers the two rulings, the appeals, the December 2022 settlement, and what both actors have done since.
These were not one case heard twice. They were two separate lawsuits, in two countries, against different defendants, about different publications.
London (2020): Depp sued News Group Newspapers, the publisher of the British tabloid The Sun, over a 2018 article that called him a "wife beater." Heard was not a defendant in that case. The case was decided by a judge, with no jury.
Fairfax County, Virginia (2022): Depp sued Heard herself over an op-ed she wrote for The Washington Post in December 2018. Heard filed a counterclaim. A seven-person jury decided the case.
After a 16-day trial in July 2020, Justice Andrew Nicol of the High Court ruled against Depp. In a 129-page judgment issued on November 2, 2020, he found that The Sun's words were "substantially true." Deadline reported that the judge found "the great majority" of the domestic violence allegations had been proved, and the judgment said that "Mr Depp did assault Ms Heard."
Under English libel law, a publisher can defend itself by showing that what it printed was substantially true. That is what The Sun's publisher did. After the ruling, a representative for Heard said the judgment found Depp had "committed domestic violence against Amber on no fewer than 12 occasions," according to UPI.
Depp's side had called the allegations a "hoax." Heard's lawyer said the result was "not a surprise," Deadline reported.
Depp asked the Court of Appeal to hear his case. On March 25, 2021, it refused. His lawyers had argued that he did not get a fair trial and had questioned Heard's credibility about a pledge she made to donate money to charity.
Lord Justice Underhill wrote that the court refused Depp's request to admit further evidence and concluded "that the appeal has no real prospect of success and that there is no other compelling reason for it to be heard," UPI reported. That ended the UK case.
Heard's December 2018 Washington Post op-ed ran under the headline "I spoke up against sexual violence — and faced our culture's wrath. That has to change." It did not name Depp.
Depp sued her for defamation in Fairfax County Circuit Court, alleging that the piece falsely implied he had abused her. He sought $50 million. Heard countersued for $100 million, NPR reported. Her counterclaim centered on statements by Depp's then-lawyer, Adam Waldman, who had called her abuse allegations a "hoax."
The trial ran about six weeks before Judge Penney Azcarate.
The verdict was mixed. Both sides won something, but not equally.
Depp's claims: The jury found in Depp's favor on three statements connected to the op-ed, including its headline, CBS News reported. It awarded him $10 million in compensatory damages and $5 million in punitive damages.
The punitive cap: Virginia law limits punitive damages to $350,000, so the judge cut that part of the award. Depp's total came to $10.35 million.
Heard's counterclaim: The jury found for Heard on one of her counterclaim statements, the "hoax" characterization Waldman gave to the Daily Mail. It awarded her $2 million. The jury did not find for her on her other counterclaim statements.
The two cases asked different legal questions. In London, the newspaper only had to show that what it printed was substantially true, and a judge weighed the evidence. In Virginia, Depp had to convince a jury that Heard's specific statements were false and defamatory. Under US law, a public figure also has to show "actual malice," meaning the speaker knew a statement was false or recklessly disregarded whether it was. Different evidence, different fact-finders and different legal standards led to different results.
Neither ruling bound the other court. Heard later pointed to that difference herself. When she settled, she said she had been "vindicated by a robust, impartial and fair system" in the UK, and argued that in the US trial "popularity and power mattered more than reason and due process," according to The Washington Post.
Neither side accepted the Virginia verdict at first. Heard filed a formal appeal of the June 1 verdict. On November 3, 2022, Depp filed his own appeal challenging the $2 million counterclaim award, Deadline reported.
The appeals never reached a decision. On December 19, 2022, Heard announced that she had settled. Under the agreement, Heard would pay Depp $1 million, and both appeals would be dropped.
Heard's position: She said the settlement was "not an act of concession," The Washington Post reported. In a social media post, she called it a "very difficult decision" and said she had lost "faith in the American legal system" and "exhausted almost all my resources," according to Deadline.
Depp's position: His lawyers, Benjamin Chew and Camille Vasquez, said his "priority was about bringing the truth to light," and that the $1 million payment "reinforces Ms. Heard's acknowledgement of the conclusion," Deadline reported. Depp said he would donate the money to charity.
Because the case settled, no US appeals court ever ruled on whether the verdict should stand.
Depp kept working after the trial. The Washington Post noted in December 2022 that he had gone back to acting and music and was still the face of Dior.
Cannes, May 2023: "Jeanne du Barry," directed by Maïwenn and starring Depp, premiered at the Cannes Film Festival. It received a standing ovation that Variety put at about seven minutes.
Directing: Depp directed "Modi," his first film as director in years. Deadline reported in October 2025 that the film had secured North American distribution.
Studio return: Depp and Penélope Cruz star in the Lionsgate action thriller "Day Drinker." Variety and Deadline reported in 2026 that Lionsgate had set a 2027 release date.
Heard has kept a much lower profile since the settlement. Her role in "Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom" was reported to be smaller than in the first film, and its director publicly defended that choice, CBR reported. In May 2025 she announced the birth of twins in a Mother's Day post, CBS News reported. When she settled in 2022, she said she wanted to put her energy into healing, The Washington Post reported.
2018: The Sun publishes an article calling Depp a "wife beater."
December 2018: Heard's op-ed runs in The Washington Post.
July 2020: Depp's libel case against The Sun's publisher goes to trial in London (16 days).
November 2, 2020: Justice Andrew Nicol rules the "wife beater" claim was "substantially true." Depp loses.
March 25, 2021: The Court of Appeal refuses Depp permission to appeal.
Spring 2022: The Depp v. Heard trial runs for about six weeks in Fairfax County, Virginia.
June 1, 2022: The jury awards Depp $10 million compensatory and $5 million punitive damages (punitive cut to $350,000) and awards Heard $2 million on one counterclaim.
November 3, 2022: Depp files an appeal of Heard's counterclaim award. Heard had also appealed.
December 19, 2022: Heard announces a settlement. She will pay Depp $1 million, and the appeals end.
May 2023: "Jeanne du Barry," starring Depp, premieres at Cannes.
May 2025: Heard announces the birth of twins.
October 2025: Depp's directing project "Modi" gets North American distribution.
2026: Lionsgate sets a 2027 release for "Day Drinker," starring Depp and Penélope Cruz.
The legal fight is over. The UK judgment stands after the Court of Appeal refused permission to appeal in March 2021. The Virginia case ended with the December 2022 settlement, and both appeals were dropped before any appeals court ruled. No new litigation between Depp and Heard turned up in our research.
Depp is still working as an actor and director, and "Day Drinker" is due in 2027. Heard has stayed largely out of Hollywood.
Two separate cases: London was Depp v. The Sun's publisher, decided by a judge. Virginia was Depp v. Heard, decided by a jury.
UK result: The judge found The Sun's "wife beater" claim "substantially true," and Depp was refused permission to appeal.
Virginia result: Depp won $10.35 million after the punitive cap. Heard won $2 million on one counterclaim.
Settlement: Heard agreed to pay $1 million, both appeals ended, and no appellate court ruled on the verdict.
Careers: Depp has returned to major film work. Heard has largely stepped back from Hollywood.
This article reflects verified reporting and court records as of September 17, 2026, and will be updated as cases and stories develop.
Johnny Depp Loses "Wife Beater" Libel Case Against UK Tabloid The Sun — Deadline, November 2020
Johnny Depp loses libel case against Britain's Sun newspaper — CNN, November 2, 2020
Johnny Depp unable to appeal libel case against The Sun — UPI, March 25, 2021
Johnny Depp Denied Appeal in U.K. "Wife Beater" Case — The Hollywood Reporter, March 2021
Depp is awarded more than $10M in defamation case against Heard and she gets $2M — NPR, June 1, 2022
Jury awards millions of dollars to Johnny Depp in libel suit; Amber Heard wins less in countersuit — CBS News, June 1, 2022
Amber Heard, Johnny Depp reach $1 million settlement in defamation case — The Washington Post, December 19, 2022
Johnny Depp Defamation Case Settled By Amber Heard — Deadline, December 2022
Amber Heard to Pay $1 Million to Johnny Depp in Settlement of Legal Battle — Variety, December 2022
Johnny Depp's movie 'Jeanne du Barry' receives minutes-long standing ovation at Cannes — CNN, May 17, 2023
Lily-Rose Depp 'Super Happy' for Father Johnny Depp After His Seven-Minute Cannes Standing Ovation — Variety, May 2023
Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom Director Defends Reducing Amber Heard's Role — CBR, 2023
Amber Heard announces birth of twins in Mother's Day post — CBS News, May 2025
Johnny Depp's 'Modi' Gets North American Distribution Deal — Deadline, October 2025
Johnny Depp, Penelope Cruz's Action Thriller 'Day Drinker' Sets 2027 Release Date — Variety, 2026
'Day Drinker' Gets Release Date From Lionsgate — Deadline, May 2026
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