Amber Heard trial could deter abuse survivors because of "what she endured"

SHANNON POWER FROM NEWSWEEK

A law professor told Newsweek that Heard’s experience could “lead other survivors of abuse to think very seriously about pursuing similar cases.”

Amber Heard’s experience in court after being sued for defamation by ex-husband Johnny Depp may deter victims of abuse from speaking out, according to a legal expert.

Heard, 36, announced Monday that she would settle the case after a Virginia court ruled in favor of Depp, 59 who had sued her for $50 million over a 2018 op-ed for The Washington Post.

She wrote in the op-ed that she was a domestic abuse survivor, but did not name her abuser. Heard countersued for $100 million, but Depp’s lawyers argued that it was obvious she was referring to the actor.

On Monday, the actress issued a statement on Instagram saying she “simply cannot re-live” another trial if she went on with her appeal.

“Amber Heard was very clear in her statement about why she settled. Heard did not want to prolong a process that had already proved very painful,” Carl Tobias, Chair in Law at the University of Richmond told Newsweek.

The law professor said the court verdict could send a negative message to family violence survivors about seeking legal action for their experiences.

“Heard’s experience may lead other survivors of abuse to think very seriously about pursuing similar cases, because of the difficulties that she and others have encountered,” Tobias said.

Heard had appealed the court’s decision in November with her legal team arguing more than a dozen errors they allegedly committed during the trial and called for the June verdict to be reversed or terminated in favor of a new trial.

The trial was scrutinized around the world, with thousands of social media users dissecting every second of the trial

The seven-member jury found Depp was entitled to $10 million in compensatory damages and punitive damages of $5 million. Virginia state law limits punitive damages to $350,000, which brought the amount awarded to Depp to $10.35 million. The jury also awarded Heard $2 million in damages in her countersuit.