Amber Heard's team threw shade at Depp moments before he won trial

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By stefan armitage

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Johnny Depp's defamation trial against ex-wife Amber Heard may have come to an end, but that hasn't stopped fans from continuing to dissect every detail amid the fallout.

On Wednesday (June 1) - following a seven-week trial - a Virginia jury unanimously sided with 58-year-old Depp and ruled that he is entitled to $10 million in compensatory damages and $5 million in punitive damages.

With Judge Penney Azcarate dropping the punitive damages to the Virginia star law maximum of $350,000, this means Heard must pay a total judgment of $10.35 million.

This is the moment the verdict was revealed in Fairfax courtroom:

Depp had been seeking $50 million after 36-year-old Heard referred to herself as a "public figure representing domestic abuse" in an op-ed she wrote for The Washington Post back in 2018.

The Pirates of the Caribbean star's legal team argued that the article - which never mentioned the actor by name - was about him and subsequently resulted in him losing work. Depp has repeatedly denied any allegations that he was physically violent toward his ex-wife.

Heard had attempted to countersue for $100 million for comments made by Adam Waldman, Depp's former lawyer, and stated that she was only ever violent against Depp in self-defense or in defense of her younger sister, per NBC News.

The jury did award Heard $2 million in damages based on her countersuit.

However, when the verdict was being announced in court, viewers would have noticed that Depp was not present.

Representatives for the actor told CNN that Depp would not be present for the verdict due to "previously scheduled work commitments" in the United Kingdom, but that he would be watching remotely.

In response to Depp's absence in the courtroom, spokespeople for Heard released the following statement, per ABC News:

"Your presence shows where your priorities are. Johnny Depp plays guitar in the U.K. while Amber Heard waits for a verdict in Virginia.

"Depp is taking his snickering and lack of seriousness on tour."

The "snickering and lack of seriousness" refers to occasions throughout the trial that Depp was spotted giggling to himself, doodling during testimonies, and eating gummy bears.

While in the UK, Depp has been seen playing on stage with friend and guitarist Jeff Beck, and even surprised locals in a pub in the UK city of Newcastle.

Featured image credit: Newscom / Alamy