Oh, oh, Looks like time is running out for Amber Heard. After the much-publicized legal battle she faced against Johnny Depp, it seems like things aren’t getting better anytime soon. When the judge declared the verdict against her, it was clear she was in serious trouble.
While her career has been successful with films like Aquaman and the Danish girl, the actress does not have the means to shell out over ten million dollars in damages. Earlier last month, Heard attempted to appeal the jury's decision in June, which convicted her of defaming ex-husband Johnny Depp when she claimed she was a victim of physical violence.
A public trial, that resembled more like a media circus, formed quickly after the declarations began. During the trial, there were all sorts of allegations: of physical, emotional, and substance against him were sure to be repeated. It was impossible to think that he could someday restore his reputation. Heard, his ex-wife was counting on the opposite: that the world would hear, in detail, about the physical torments that led her to describe herself, in the Washington Post essay. While the essay used her experience with domestic violence to draw readers, it strongly focused on the little to no support women get when speaking out.
However, this would not be enough to get the jury or the public on her side. It’s hard to think about, but Depp possessed a lot of advantages. Perhaps he isn’t a better actor than Heard, but her conduct on the stand was more harshly criticized in no small part because he’s a more familiar performer, a bigger star who has dwelled for much longer in the glow of public approbation.
Depp has been a likable and charismatic household name for decades now, which immediately made the tribulations of the trial destroy his image much less than his ex-wives. He brought with him into the courtroom the well-known characters he has played, a virtual entourage of lovable rogues, misunderstood artists, and gonzo rebels. He’s Edward Scissorhands, Jack Sparrow, Hunter S. Thompson, and Gilbert Grape. The audience was primed to accept him as flawed, vulnerable, and human, and to view her as monstrous
It was only a matter of time until the jury, in the Virginia case, found that both parties defamed one another so, they awarded Depp $10 million in compensatory damages and 5 million dollars in punitive damages. The Aquaman star, on the other hand, was awarded $2 million in compensatory damages and nothing in punitive damages.
The amount was then reduced to $10.35 million, as the cost of the punitive damages was capped at $350,000 by Virginia's maximum rule. In addition, the $2 million that Heard was awarded came by winning one claim in the lawsuit in connection to Depp’s former lawyer Adam Waldman defaming her through press statements. Among other things, Amber argued that the $10 million verdict is unsupported by the facts, and seems to demonstrate that jurors failed to focus on the fallout from the 2018 op-ed piece, as they were supposed to do, and instead just looked broadly at the damage Depp's reputation suffered as a result of the alleged.
At some point, it seemed more like the trial was trying to demonize her instead of looking at facts. It became a game of good and bad, and in the world’s eyes, she was always going to lose. “It’s been agonizing,” Heard told jurors in May as she took the stand, teary-eyed, “This is humiliating for any human being to go through. Perhaps it’s easy to forget that, but I am a human being.” Her lawyer, a high-profile attorney with decades of experience didn’t stay quiet, she had a lot to say about this case’s resolution.
“Well, you know, really what happened here is it’s a tale of two trials. Johnny Depp brought a suit in the UK for the same case,” Elaine Bredehoft told “Today,” referring to the “Pirates of the Caribbean” star’s sensational 2020 libel case against British tabloid the Sun. “The burden of proof was easier for him there, the Sun had to prove that it was true. And the court found there, and we weren’t allowed to tell the jury this, but the court found that Mr.
Depp had committed at least 12 acts of domestic violence, including violence against Amber. “So what did Depp’s team learn from this? Demonize Amber and suppress the evidence. We had an enormous amount of evidence that was suppressed in this case that was in the UK case. In the UK case when it came in, Amber won and Mr. Depp lost.” “We had a significant amount of texts, including from Mr. Depp’s assistants, saying ‘When I told him he kicked you, he cried, he is so sorry.’
That didn’t come in.” Bredehoft concluded that said the trial’s outcome sends a horrible message: “Unless you pull out your phone and videotape your spouse beating you, you won’t be believed,” she told “Today.” When asked if the “Aquaman” actress would be able to pay the $10.4 million in damages that the Virginia jury awarded to her Hollywood star ex, Bredehoft replied:
“Oh, no, absolutely not.” While Heard can appeal the verdict, she could be required to post a bond for the full $10.35 million judgment, plus interest, as the appeal proceeds, said attorney Sandra Spurgeon of Spurgeon Law Group in Lexington, Kentucky.
Experts have weighed in on the matter, perhaps out of curiosity or maybe they’re chasing some of the spotlights that shines bright on the actress. "For an individual who can't pay the judgment and cannot post the bond, then there is a real issue if the winning party intends to execute the judgment," Spurgeon told CBS MoneyWatch.
By comparison, Depp, 58, earned as much as $650 million over one 13-year period, according to the Hollywood Reporter. Even so, a former manager and agent testified during the trial that his spending such as $300,000 a month on full-time staff has eroded his wealth over time. However, it seems like the public agrees on one thing: Elaine is not to blame for Amber’s past sins.
Several apparent Depp supporters have even taken to social media to lend their support to Elaine, suggesting that she's got an uphill battle as well as a not-so-easy-to-defend client. "Okay don’t take me out. I feel like #ElaineBredehoft and her team is fighting hard to do their best job for a VERY difficult client with Very narcissistic behavior patterns. The team doing their best, probably exhausted," read a tweet. Another added, "Can I shout out for #ElaineBredehoft?
There were reports she was crying in the courtroom the other day. It would be hard to defend someone as vile as #AmberHeard. She’s just doing her job. Be nice to #Elaine." As a way to prepare for the verdict, Amber's legal team stated in previous interviews that she does not have the funds to pay her ex-husband. It was also reported that Amber Heard filed for bankruptcy after she failed to pay the settlement.
Just this past month, Amber Heard filed a motion seeking to have Depp's verdict set aside, or have a mistrial declared. Her lawyers cited multiple factors, including an apparent case of mistaken identity with one of the jurors. If Heard decides against an appeal but doesn't have enough money to pay the judgment, she could end up with her current and future wages garnished, according to legal experts.
"That's not an unusual situation where somebody says, 'I don't have — I can't fulfill this,' and so I certainly think because she has earning potential," part of her wages could be garnished as a result. Depp could go after more than her wages,” an expert noted. “He could also collect by going after her real estate, jewelry, and other valuable items, although some assets, such as retirement accounts, would be protected. “If he were advising Heard, he noted, "I would say maximize everything in a retirement account immediately."
Another expert weighed in on her situation: "He's in the driver's seat right now," she said, noting that Depp also could negotiate with Heard for a lower dollar figure. If Heard appeals, as she reportedly intends to do, that could be a negotiating point for negotiating a lower payment or to drop it altogether, Pastor added. "He's already won in the court of public opinion," he noted. "Maybe he's willing to say, 'If you drop the appeal, I'm willing to drop the judgment'." Do you think Depp will play nice this time and let Amber keep some of her money? Let us know your thoughts down below!
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