Did Amber Heard ask Johnny Depp to reduce $10M settlement? Reports claim she met him privately
The verdict of the controversial defamation trial between Johnny Depp and Amber Heard was announced more than a month ago, but it still remains the topic of much debate. The jury in the massively followed legal battle ruled in the 59-year-old actor's favor after finding the 36-year-old actress' abuse allegation statements to be defamatory.
The 'Aquaman' actress was asked by the jury to pay the 'Pirates of the Caribbean' actor $10 million in damages and $350,000 in fines. Heard was not happy with the verdict, and her team has alleged that the verdict had legal reasoning problems and discrepancies in the jury selection process. They have also argued that Depp was awarded excessive damages for the defamation lawsuit, reports Marca.
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For Heard’s counterclaim:
— Ashe Short (@AsheSchow) June 1, 2022
-on claim people called accusations a hoax: Heard loses
-On claim that Depp’s employee claimed Heard messed up apartment: Heard wins
-On claim that her hoax was almost over: Heard loses
Heard gets $2 million in compensatory, $0 in punitive
According to El Nacional, the actress requested a meeting with Depp for a renegotiation of the payment. Heard asked for a reduction of the 10 million and 350 thousand dollar amount that the jury has ordered her to pay for defaming Depp. As per the report, the former spouses could not reach an agreement during the private meeting, leading to Heard asking her team to appeal the sentence of the trial.
"After a brief hearing in the Fairfax County Court, which was not attended by any of those involved. Not having reached an amicable agreement between them or with the presence of their lawyers, Heard's team has decided to initiate an appeal process. Both parties will have a period of 30 days to make the notice of appeal, the case will be presented in the Virginia Court of Appeals," the portal reports.
EXCLUSIVE: @SavannahGuthrie talks to Amber Heard’s attorney, Elaine Charlson Bredhoft, following Johnny Depp's legal win. pic.twitter.com/i1EOlz1NcU
— TODAY (@TODAYshow) June 2, 2022
Previously, when Heard's lawyer, Elaine Bredehoft, was asked on the Today Show if the actress would be able to pay the amount ordered by the jury, she replied, "Oh no, absolutely not." As per Deadline, Bredehoft sought to set a briefing schedule and more for a proposed appeal for Heard. Judge Penney Azcarate told Bredehoft that if she wanted to appeal the verdict from the jury, the lawyer would have to file motions with the court.
The judge informed the attorney that Heard would have to put up an $8.35 million bond with 6% interest per year for any appeal to formally move forward. A spokesperson for Heard told The New York Post, "You don't ask for a pardon if you are innocent. And, you don't decline to appeal if you know you are right."
The portal reports that Judge Azcarate entered Depp's version of the verdict on paper in its entirety, rejecting all of Heard's proposed edits. Depp's legal team reportedly did not request an injunction. "Speaking the truth was something that I owed to my children and to all those who have remained steadfast in their support of me. I feel at peace knowing I have finally accomplished that," Depp wrote after the verdict.