After Johnny Depp’s ex-wife, Amber Heard lost a multimillion-dollar defamation lawsuit against him, Heard has been claiming poverty and is now attempting to wiggle her way out of having to pay the sum herself.
Heard, 36, was ordered to pay Depp $10 million in damages as the very lengthy and very public court case concluded in June. The Pirates of the Caribbean actor sued Heard for defamation after she posted an article in the New York Post accusing Depp of being physically abusive towards her – allegations which he denied.
The trial became more like a Hollywood drama-comedy, and was followed online by millions of intrigued and bemused people. Heard continually made bizarre statements, and revelations about her defecating on Depp’s bed blew up the internet and ultimately led to the actress sealing her own demise of her career.
Shortly after the judge ordered Heard to pay Depp around $10 million in damages, the Aquaman actress said she was financially broke and could not afford to pay. She was spotted shopping at a discount store and told friends that she believed she would not find work in Hollywood again.
Rather than quietly accept the court’s decision and award a percentage of future earnings to Depp, Heard has made attempts to quash the judge’s ruling. Later in July, her lawyers filed an official notice to appeal, which is currently on-going.
Now, the actress has hired a new legal team in an attempt to get an insurance company to fit her bill. According to Puck News, her expenses alone amounted to around $8 million.
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Heard has locked horns with Travelers Commercial Insurance Company and New York Marine General Insurance Company, but her contract with Travelers only covered $500,000 in expenses, while New York Marine initially agreed to pay up to $1 million.
The two companies reportedly had a disagreement about which lawyers Heard should have used, with Marine opting for cheaper options because the case was “fairly straight forward”, while Travelers claimed their lawyers “piggy-backed” off Heard attorneys Roberta Kaplan and Elaine Charlson Bredehoft.
Amber Heard caught shopping at TJ Max. pic.twitter.com/sltcAr0YFB
— KEEM 🍿 (@KEEMSTAR) June 23, 2022
The companies are suing Heard to avoid paying for the libel damages settlement. Heard could be forced to pay the entire amount including the expenses if Depp can prove she made false statements.
Meanwhile, Depp, since the conclusion of the lawsuit, has gone from strength to strength. The actor toured Europe with rock legend, Jeff Beck over the summer, playing the guitar on stage with his hero.
He was re-signed on a multi-year, seven-figure contract with luxury men’s fragrance brand, Sauvage by Dior and after losing the part of Captain Jack Sparrow in Disney’s the Pirates of the Caribbean movie franchise, fans were delighted by the news that in a month after the trial, the studio announced the return of Depp as the swashbuckling pirates in a Disney+ series.
During the trial, the 59-year-old said that Disney executives had judged him as “guilty until proven innocent” after they booted him from the new Pirates movie following Heard’s allegations.
Depp’s love-life also appears to be on the up as Page Six reported that the star has begun a new whirlwind romance with the glamorous, London-based lawyer, Camille Vasquez who represented him in his libel case against British tabloids.