A jubilant Amber Heard beamed as she hugged friends and clutched a giant inflatable bottle of Champagne after her court victory against ex-husband Johnny Depp.
The actress celebrated the culmination of her acrimonious and long-running battle yesterday which saw her estranged husband labelled a ‘wife beater’ as he dramatically lost his fight in the British courts.
Depp, 57, was branded a ‘monster’ by a judge who said he DID beat Amber 12 times as he lost his £5m ‘wife-beater’ libel trial against The Sun – a decision he plans to appeal.
But 34-year-old Heard wasted no time in throwing a party at her home as friends brought balloons and even a giant inflatable bottle of bubbly.
Looking teary-eyed, Amber’s family members could be seen congratulating the actress following the court ruling in her favour as she emerged in a white vest top with her hair tied back under a scarf.
Johnny Depp now faces a desperate battle to salvage his career after losing his blockbuster libel case and being labelled a wife beater, according to a top celebrity crisis management expert.
Mark Borkowski said for the 57-year-old to resume his career would be the equivalent of ‘climbing Mt Everest without oxygen, barefoot and in his underpants’.
He said: ‘His reputation is in tatters. Having lost this libel case he will always be known as a wife beater. Whenever he is interviewed by a journalist, he will be asked about this and if he is a wife beater.
‘It does not get any worse for him. Hollywood is very corporate and risk adverse with its money. Those making film franchises will not want to take the risk. This is a personal disaster for him. For him to come back will be the equivalent of climbing Mt Everest without oxygen, in his underpants and barefoot. That’s how hard it will be.’
Emotional: Amber Heard hugged her family outside her LA home on Monday after hearing the Johnny Depp verdict:after judge branded her ex husband ‘a monster’ who DID beat her 12 times as he lost his £5m ‘wife-beater’ libel trial
The actress celebrated the culmination of her acrimonious and long-running battle yesterday which saw her estranged husband labelled a ‘wife beater’ as he dramatically lost his fight in the British courts
Farewell: A tearful Amber could be seen waving her family goodbye
Jubilant: One person was seen carrying a champagne shaped balloon outside the property
Amber Heard was all smiles as she celebrated the news of her court victory against her ex husband Johnny Depp
Borkowski, whose clients include Noel Edmunds and Led Zeppelin star Jimmy Page, said Depp’s one hope was his huge worldwide fan base who will support him despite the verdict in the High Court.
‘Don’t write him off just yet. He is still very popular, so I would never say never that he will come back. He has a huge fan base who will still support him.’
‘There is also the #MeToo movement and Hollywood is engaged in a cultural war. He might not get involved in the big blockbusters, but there are also smaller independent films.
Borkowski questioned the decision by Depp bring the case against The Sun newspaper.
‘I am sure he now regrets bringing this case but he obviously felt it was necessary.’
Other reputation management experts agreed that Depp faces the end of his career.
Steven Heffer, Head of Media and Privacy at law firm Collyer Bristow said: ‘Depp’s strategy was high risk and has proved an absolute disaster. It is often best not to risk all for these sort of legal cases. A better approach may have been to publish a public statement denying the allegations.
‘That would have left question marks but would have avoided the disaster scenario. Nobody can be forced to bring a libel claim, and given the stormy background of the relationship it was probably unwise to do so.
‘Unfortunately for Depp, it is highly likely to have been a career-ending decision. What it does mean is that the future of the other legal actions is uncertain.’
Depp still faces a hearing in the America where he is suing his former wife for £39m in a defamation suit following a 2018 article for The Washington Post where she discussed domestic violence.
Depp had hoped a victory in the High Court in London would bolster his case which is not likely to be heard until 2021.
Carefree Heard embraced friends and family who had come to congratulate her on her court win yesterday
The group chatted animatedly outside her home – as her ex-husband faces having to salvage his career
Heard’s legal team are now looking ahead to a second, $50million libel suit in the US in May where Depp is suing Heard over a column she wrote on being the victim of domestic violence in the Washington Post