Amber Heard’s sister Whitney has spoken out following Johnny Depp’s win in his defamation trial.
Last week, a jury of five men and two women found Amber guilty of defaming her ex-husband in an op-ed for the Washington Post, which was published in December 2018.
The jury also awarded the actor $10 million in compensatory damages, and $5 million in punitive damages.
The Aquaman star’s sister has now shared a message of support for her sister, saying she will “always” stand with her.
Taking to Instagram Whitney wrote: “I still stand with you, sissy.”
“Yesterday, today and tomorrow I will always be proud of you for standing up for yourself, for testifying both here in Virginia and in the U.K., and for being the voice of so many who can’t speak to the things that happen behind closed doors.”
Whitney then claimed that although “the cards were stacked against us,” she was proud of her sister who “stood up and spoke out regardless”.
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Whitney added: “I am so honoured to testify for you, and I would do it a million times over because I know what I saw and because the truth is forever on your side.”
“I’m so sorry that it wasn’t reflected in the decision made by this jury, but I will never give up on you, and neither will anyone who stands with you. Forever by your side.”
Following a six-week trial and 13 hours of deliberations, the jury sided with Johnny in his $50 million defamation lawsuit on Wednesday.
Johnny was awarded $10 million in compensatory damages, and a further $5 million in punitive damages.
However, Fairfax County Circuit Court Judge Penney Azcarate reduced the punitive damages to $350,000, which is the State of Virginia’s legal limit, resulting in total damages of $10.4 million awarded to Johnny.
Johnny, 58, launched a $50 million defamation lawsuit against his ex-wife in 2019, after she wrote about being an alleged victim of domestic violence in an op-ed for the Washington Post in December 2018.
While his name was excluded from the piece, Johnny’s legal team have argued that the op-ed implied that he “perpetrated domestic violence against her.”
In response, Amber countersued Johnny, asking for $100 million and claiming she suffered “rampant physical violence and abuse” at his hands.
In her countersuit, the actress claimed she was defamed by statements made by Depp’s former lawyer, Adam Waldman, who told the Daily Mail her abuse claims were a “hoax”.
Regarding her countersuit, the jury awarded $2 million in compensatory damages to Amber, but $0 in punitive damages.
