'I feel at peace,' says Johnny Depp after jury awards him lion's share of damages in defamation suit

The six-week long trial examining actor Johnny Depp's claims that ex-wife Amber Heard defamed him has finally come to a close and the jury ruled in favour of Depp. Both parties involved felt it necessary to get their statements out to let the world know what their take is on the final verdict.

On Wednesday, a US jury ruled in favour of Depp, saying that his ex-wife had defamed him. It awarded The Pirates of Caribbean actor $15 million in damages from Heard. The panel awarded Heard $2 million in damages.

"Six years ago, my life, the life of my children, the lives of those closest to me, and also, the lives of the people, who for many, many years have supported and believed in me were forever changed.

"False, very serious and criminal allegations were levied at me via the media, which triggered an endless barrage of hateful content, although no charges were ever brought against me. It had already traveled around the world twice within a nanosecond and it had a seismic impact on my life and my career. And six years later, the jury gave me my life back. I am truly humbled," wrote the Charlie and the Chocolate Factory actor.

Depp said he'd pursued this very public case aware of the "height of the legal hurdles" after considerable thought. "From the very beginning, the goal of bringing this case was to reveal the truth, regardless of the outcome," he said, adding that it is what he owed to his children and his supporters.

"I feel at peace knowing I have finally accomplished that," he shared.

The Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them actor felt overwhelmed by the love and support he has been shown from around the world. "I hope that my quest to have the truth be told will have helped others, men or women, who have found themselves in my situation," he said. "I also hope that the position will now return to innocent until proven guilty, both within the courts and in the media."

He thanked the judge, court staff and his legal team for doing an extraordinary job in helping him share the truth.

"The best is yet to come and a new chapter has finally begun. Veritas numquam perit. Truth never perishes," he concluded.

The Aquaman actor also released her statement on Instagram.

"The disappointment I feel today is beyond words. 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," she wrote.

She called the verdict a setback for women. "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 Justice League actor claimed that her ex-husband's attorneys had succeeded in getting the jury to ignore the key issue which was freedom of speech as well as the evidence that was conclusive enough to have gotten her a win in the UK.

"I'm sad I lost this case. But I am sadder still that I seem to have lost a right I thought I had as an American — to speak freely and openly," she ended the note.