Amber Heard Says She Doesn’t ‘Blame’ the Jury for Siding with Johnny Depp

In her first interview since the verdict in her blockbuster defamation trial, Amber Heard revealed that she doesn’t “blame” the jury for siding with her ex-husband Johnny Depp. She also called out the social media coverage surrounding the case.

Speaking on the jury’s verdict, Heard said, “I don’t blame them.”

“I actually understand. He’s a beloved character and people feel they know him. He’s a fantastic actor,” she said of Depp.

Many people who used social media during the six-week trial thought that Johnny Depp was treated unfairly.

The TikTok hashtag “Justice for Amber Heard” received 27 million views, while one for Depp raked in 20 billion views.

“I don’t care what one thinks about me or what judgments you want to make about what happened in the privacy of my own home, in my marriage, behind closed doors. I don’t presume the average person should know those things. And so I don’t take it personally,” she said.

“But even somebody who is sure I’m deserving of all this hate and vitriol, even if you think that I’m lying, you still couldn’t look me in the eye and tell me that you think on social media there’s been a fair representation,” she continued. “You cannot tell me that you think that this has been fair.”

Depp was not in court when the verdict was announced because he had a previous work commitment. Depp sued Heard for $50 million because she wrote an op-ed essay saying that she became a public figure representing domestic abuse.

Although the essay never mentioned Depp by name, his attorneys said it indirectly referred to allegations he made against her during their 2016 divorce.

Heard is suing Depp for $100 million. The lawsuit is based on three statements made by Depp’s former lawyer. The statements describe Heard’s allegations of abuse as a “hoax.”

For six weeks, a Virginia jury learned about Heard and Depp’s private lives and how their marriage turned bad.

On June 1, the jury found Heard defamed Depp and harmed his career with her claims of domestic abuse. The jury awarded Depp $15 million in damages. The sum of $5 million in punitive damages was reduced to $350,000, making his total damages $10.4 million.

Heard’s attorney, Elaine Bredehoft, said that Heard plans to appeal the $10.4 million judgement in the case.

The exclusive interview will air on Tuesday and Wednesday on “TODAY” and in a special “Dateline” on Friday at 8 p.m. ET.