Amber Heard is settling her defamation case with ex-husband Johnny Depp.
The actress announced via Instagram Monday that she's come to the "very difficult decision" to settle instead of continuing to fight Depp in court, where the pair dominated headlines earlier this year with nasty tales about their brief marriage.
"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," she wrote in her statement.
The two had each accused each other of abuse during their relationship and their marriage, which ended in 2015. However, their court battle was actually over duelling claims of defamation involving what they'd said about each other after the marriage ended, and whether those stories were true.
Their court battle was live-streamed on the internet and it generated daily headlines, memes and debates about the actors' personal lives, while also inspiring people to take sides in the public fight.
A jury ultimately awarded damages on both sides, but Depp convinced the jury on more counts and Heard ended up owing him $8.35 million.
"I have made no admission," Heard insisted in her statement. "This is not an act of concession. There are no restrictions or gags with respect to my voice moving forward."
She previously vowed to appeal the case and filed that appeal earlier this month.
However, on Monday she said she had "lost faith in the American legal system, where my unprotected testimony served as entertainment and social media fodder."
She went on to rip the U.S. justice system, saying that "popularity and power mattered more than reason and due process" in her case.
"I was exposed to a type of humiliation that I simply cannon re-live," she wrote. "I simply cannot go through (a re-trial) for a third time."
Heard also pointed out that she won a similar defamation case against Depp in the U.K., where no cameras were involved.
Heard did not say on Monday whether she'll be paying the full sum that the jury awarded to Depp or a lesser amount, although her lawyer has said she can't afford the $8-million bill.
"Women shouldn't have to face abuse or bankruptcy for speaking her truth (sic)," she wrote.
"My voice forever remains the most valuable asset I have."
Depp did not immediately comment on the situation.
The news sparked a fresh round of social media outcry from the actors' respective fans, with some standing by Heard and others calling this "justice" for Depp.
Both actors are expected to return to the big screen in 2023, although their respective futures remain up in the air after this messy battle.
Depp will play King Louis XV in Jeanne du Barry, which was shot after the trial wrapped this past summer. Heard is due to reprise her role as Mera in Aquaman: The Lost Kingdom, which is also due out in 2023.
