Amber Heard is reflecting on the social media saga that reached new heights during her lengthy court battle with Johnny Depp.
Nearly two weeks after a Virginia jury found Heard liable for defaming Depp, the actress is sitting down for an exclusive interview with NBC News, which will serve as her first following the trial. In a clip released from the network on June 12, Heard addressed the online chatter that followed throughout the course of the legal battle, stating that it wasn't "fair."
"Even somebody who is sure I'm deserving of all this hate and vitriol," the actress told Today host Savannah Guthrie. "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. You cannot tell me that you think that this has been fair."
Depp's $50 million defamation lawsuit against his ex-wife began in a Virginia courtroom in mid-April, and during the course of the almost six-week trial, millions of social media users became wrapped up in every detail that came from the proceedings.
Some have analyzed Heard's fashion choices worn in court (accusing her of copying the actor), with others also showing up outside of the courthouse in support of Depp.
The actor's defamation lawsuit—which came to an end on June 1—stemmed from a 2018 essay Heard wrote for the Washington Post, in which she described herself as a "public figure representing domestic abuse." Although the article didn't mention Depp by name, his attorneys previously said in court documents that Heard's op-ed was all part of an "elaborate hoax" created "to advance her career."
In early June, a Virginia jury awarded $10 million to Depp in compensatory damages and $5 million in punitive damages, which the judge lowered to $350,000 due to the state's cap. For Heard's countersuit (she filed a $100 million countersuit against her ex in 2020), the jury awarded the actress $2 million in compensatory damages, with the award connected to a finding that Depp was liable for a statement made by his attorney about Heard.
Following the verdict, Depp spoke out in support of the decision, with the actor also releasing a TikTok on June 7 that thanked fans for their "unwavering support" throughout the trial, adding that he and his fans "will all move forward together."
After the decision, Heard's attorney Elaine Bredehoft noted that Heard plans to appeal.
"I'm heartbroken that the mountain of evidence still was not enough to stand up to the disproportionate power, influence, and sway of my ex-husband," Heard said after the verdict. "It sets back the clock to a time when a woman who spoke up and spoke out could be publicly shamed and humiliated. It sets back the idea that violence against women is to be taken seriously."
The exclusive interview will air first on NBC News' Today on Tuesday, June 14 and Wednesday, June 15, with more of the sit-down airing on Friday, June 17 on Dateline NBC 8 p.m./ 7 p.m. CT.
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