Amber Heard Settles Johnny Depp Defamation Case; Actress Blasts Legal System on Instagram

It’s been six months since a Virginia jury ruled in favor of Johnny Depp in his defamation trial against ex-wife Amber Heard.

At the time, Heard vowed to appeal the decision, but now, the actress has given up that fight.

In a surprising move, Heard announced on Instagram today that she has decided to settle the case and will no longer seek a second trial.

The actress explained that her actions should in no way be construed as a concession or an admission of wrongoing.

“It is important for me to say I never chose this,” Heard wrote.

“I defended my truth and in doing so my life as I knew it was destroyed.”

Heard has stated on several occasions that she feels as though all these years of legal wrangling have enabled Depp to continue controlling her life well after their marriage came to an end.

She explained to fans — some of whom may be disappointed by her capitulation — that she made this move to protect both her mental health and her freedom to speak her mind.

“Now I finally have an opportunity to emancipate myself from something I attempted to leave over six years ago and on terms I can agree to,” Heard wrote.

“I have made no admission. This is not an act of concession. There are no restrictions or gags with respect to my voice moving forward.”

From there, Heard blasted the American legal system and reminded her followers that Depp previously lost a similar defamation suit in the UK.

“I make this decision having lost faith in the American legal system, where my unprotected testimony served as entertainment and social media fodder,” Amber wrote.

She concluded by revealing that she plans to continue to tell her story and to help other abuse victims find justice.

“In settling this case,” Heard wrote, “I am choosing the freedom to dedicate my time to the work that helped me heal after my divorce; work that exists in realms in which I feel seen, heard and believed, and which I know I can effect change.”

While Depp has not personally responded to his ex-wife’s decision, his lawyers issued a statement in the wake of Heard’s announcement.

“We are pleased to formally close the door on this painful chapter for Mr. Depp, who made clear throughout this process that his priority was about bringing the truth to light,” Benjamin Chew and Camille Vasquez told Yahoo News.

“The jury’s unanimous decision and the resulting judgement in Mr. Depp’s favor against Ms. Heard remain fully in place,” the legal team continued.

“The payment of $1M — which Mr. Depp is pledging and will donate to charities — reinforces Ms. Heard’s acknowledgement of the conclusion of the legal system’s rigorous pursuit for justice.”

We’ll have further updates on this developing story as more information becomes available.

Amber Heard Settles Johnny Depp Defamation Case; Actress Blasts Legal System on Instagram was originally published on The Hollywood Gossip .