Amber Heard could be forced to file for bankruptcy after losing to Johnny Depp in their blockbuster defamation trial.
Johnny Depp sued ex-beau Amber Heard for $50 million over her 2018 op-ed for The Washington Post in which she accused him of domestic violence during the duration of their forsaken marriage.
In return, Amber Heard launched a $100 million countersuit saying her ex-husband launched a smear campaign against her after she spoke out.
Now, the trial has finally come to an end with the jury declaring a verdict in Johnny’s favor.
Originally, the jury requested Heard pay Depp $10 million in compensatory damages and an additional $5 million in punitive damages.
The judge, however, was forced to reduce the $5 million in punitive damages to $350,000 due to Virginia’s state laws.
While Heard was granted $2 million in compensatory damages as part of her countersuit, she was awarded zero in punitive damages.
As of this writing, it remains unclear how Heard will pay $10.35 million to her ex-husband since she previously claimed she is broke as a result of her legal battle with Depp.
Though the actress previously insisted she honored her $7 million charity pledge and paid $3.5 million to ACLU and $3.5 million to Children’s Hospital, it has during the trial come to light that this was not the case.
Eventually, Heard finally admitted she was unable to complete her pledged charity payments due to financial issues before blaming Depp’s lawsuit for her inability to pay.
Following the verdict, experts have begun speculating what Heard will do next in terms of her responsibility to pay $10.35 million to Johnny Depp.
While an appeal could prolong the full payment, it is likely the Aquaman actress will be required to post bond for the full amount even if she chooses to appeal the ruling.
As experts have suggested, Heard – provided she doesn’t appeal – could see part of her current and future earnings garnished and sent to Depp should it be found that she didn’t pay and that her earning potential is sufficient.
Additionally, the actress could also file for bankruptcy which would likely see the $10 million she had been ordered to pay in compensatory damages wiped away. She would, however, probably still be required to pay $350,000 in punitive damages.
As attorney Sandra Spurgeon revealed in an interview with CBS MoneyWatch, Johnny Depp holds the key when it comes to deciding whether to pursue the judgment or waive his right to monetary compensation.
“For an individual who doesn’t have the ability to pay the judgment and no ability to post the bond, then there is a real issue if the winning party intends to execute the judgment,” Spurgeon explained.
While it is not clear whether the Pirates of the Caribbean star will pursue the monetary judgment against his ex-wife, Depp confirmed that he is satisfied knowing the truth is now out there.
“The goal of bringing this case was to reveal the truth, regardless of the outcome. I feel at peace knowing I have finally accomplished that,” he said.
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