IT'S OFFICIAL: Amber Heard ordered to pay Johnny Depp $10.35M for damaging his reputation
Weeks after losing the defamation trial against her actor husband Johnny Depp, Amber Heard has been officially ordered by the judge to pay the damages. This comes after the ‘Aquaman’ actress through her lawyer had earlier admitted that she could not afford the $8.3 million in damages. Amber Heard has been now ordered to pay $10.35 million - which also includes punitive damages of $350,000 in accordance with Virginia law.
Johnny Depp has also been ordered to pay Amber Heard $2 million. The latest comes amidst the rumors of the 36-year-old actress's willingness to pen all the details in a tell-all book. According to reports, the actress said that she wished to appeal but the judge made it very clear that she first have to post a bond for the full amount before it can even be considered. Amber Heard has been held accountable for damaging Depp's reputation by describing herself as a domestic abuse victim in an op-ed piece she wrote in The Washington Post in December 2018.
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According to the Daily Mail, the attorneys of both parties were not able to reach a last-minute settlement which simply means the process might get costlier and lengthier. In three weeks, the case will move to the Court of Appeals of Virginia where both the parties will have 30 days to file a notice of appeal.
It is also being reported that Amber Heard apart from the $10.35 million, will need to add an additional $480,000 in interest payments. The judge's order revealed that both awards are subject to 6% interest per year. The verdict of the defamation trial was announced on June 1, 2022. Depp had sued Heard for $50 million after she wrote the controversial 2018 op-ed. Though the article did not name Depp, the actor's lawsuit stated, "The op-ed depended on the central premise that Ms. Heard was a domestic abuse victim and that Mr. Depp perpetrated domestic violence against her." Amber Heard then countersued Depp for $100 million in relation to the statements made by Depp's attorney Adam Waldman.
Is Amber Heard broke?
A week after losing the defamation trial, Amber Heard was papped boarding a private jet. The actress was clicked wearing a black Yves Saint Laurent handbag with black pants and a cropped green jacket as she was taken into New York City from a private airport in New Jersey. This came after her lawyer, Elaine Bredehoft, said that Heard could "absolutely not" afford to pay so much money a day after the decision was published, while a New York Post insider said the actress was now "broke" because of her lavish spending and high legal bills.
However, a few days later TMZ caught hold of the actress shopping at a TJ Maxx in Bridgehampton, New York. She was trolled by Depp fans for visiting the bargain store. Amber Heard was accompanied by her sister Whitney Henriquez, who testified in court on her behalf. The publication reported that the siblings were "perusing racks for clothes, and at one point they were heard discussing white linen pants." The outlet noted how Heard "scrammed" when she noticed cameras rolling.