Amber Heard has settled her multimillion-dollar US defamation case with ex-husband Johnny Depp, saying she has “lost faith in the US legal system”.
She said she would not proceed with a planned appeal after her trial in the United States.
In an Instagram post, the actress said she made the decision after “deliberation” and that she never “chosen this”.
The post said: “I stood up for my truth and in doing so the life I knew was destroyed.
“The slurs I face on social media are an amplified version of the way women are re-victimized when they come forward.
“Now I finally have the opportunity to free myself from what I was trying to get out of six years ago, and on terms I can agree to.”
The actress added that the post is not an acknowledgment of any actions and “is not a concession”.
A decision was made less than a month later Hurd seeks appeal against verdict in her legal battle Deppthinking it would have a “chilling effect” on other women.
The former Aquaman star compared her treatment in British and American courts.
Testifying in Depp’s 2020 UK lawsuit against News Corp News Corp Ltd, Heard said she was “vindicated by a strong, fair and equitable system” and exempted from “testifying before the whole world”. The worst moment for “media”.
And in the United States, she said, she “had been tried by a court in which the vast amount of direct evidence corroborating my testimony was excluded, and in a court where prestige and power were more important than reason and due process”.
Supporters of Johnny Depp outside the Crown Court in March 2021
heard Even if her appeal is successful, she said, the “best outcome” is a new trial with a new jury, which she said she “couldn’t make at all” a third time.
“For years, I have been locked in a arduous and expensive legal process that has shown that it fails to protect me and my right to free speech,” she continued.
“I can’t take the risk of an impossible bill – one that’s not just financial, but mental, physical and emotional. Women shouldn’t face abuse or bankruptcy for speaking the truth, but unfortunately, this Such situations are not uncommon.”
The star added that by settling down, she has “chosen freedom to dedicate my time to work that helps me heal from my divorce,” which she says can “make a difference.”
“I will not be threatened, discouraged or dissuaded from speaking the truth. No one can and will take that away from me. My voice will always be the most valuable asset I have.”
Heard is being sued by Depp for writing an article for The Washington Post in 2018 about her experience as a domestic violence survivor, which his lawyers say falsely accused him of being an abuser.
A jury in Fairfax County Court found in his favor in June, Depp awarded $10.3m (£8.43m) for damage to reputation.
Heard won one of her countersuits, successfully arguing that one of Depp’s lawyers defamed her, claiming her allegations were an “abusive hoax” designed to take advantage of the #MeToo movement.
jury awarded her $2m (£1.5m) loss.
Representatives for Depp have been contacted for comment.
Johnny Depp to guest star at 2022 MTV VMAs
Since the US sentencing, Depp has devoted himself fully to his music career.he made a Surprise Cameo at the 2022 MTV Video Music Awards – Jokes with the audience that he “needs work” as he appears onstage dressed as an astronaut.
He was also seen performing with guitarist Jeff Baker and announced that his super rock band Hollywood Vampires will be on tour in 2023.