Amber Heard, convicted of defamation, is sticking to the statements in question – “until the day I die,” as she now says in an interview. She doesn’t want to give in to her fear of being sued again: “That’s what a lawsuit for defamation is supposed to achieve, it’s supposed to take away your voice.”
Actress Amber Heard has said she is “terrified” of being sued again for defamation by her ex-husband Johnny Depp. About three weeks ago, she lost a defamation lawsuit against the Hollywood star, to whom she was married between 2015 and 2017, in Virginia.
In an interview with Savannah Guthrie on NBC’s Dateline, Heard said she took it for granted that she had a right to speak out about her experiences. When asked if she was afraid she might be sued again by Depp, she said she was “scared”. And added: “I think that’s what a defamation lawsuit is supposed to do, it’s supposed to take your voice away.”
In further preliminary excerpts from the “NBC News” interview, according to the “Los Angeles Times”, Heard has already said: “I will stand by my statement until the day I die.” She said everything “and I paid the price”. The fact that Depp is now filing a lawsuit again because of the interview is possible, but “unlikely”, the “Los Angeles Times” quoted an expert as saying.
Heard published an article in the Washington Post in 2018 in which she wrote about being a victim of domestic violence. Although she didn’t mention Depp’s name at the time, he still sued her for $50 million in damages. In his opinion, his career suffered greatly as a result of the publication of the article.
The jury found Amber Heard guilty of defamation. The fine was $15 million, but due to laws in Virginia, where the trial took place, Heard is only charged $10.35 million. Depp was also fined $2 million. The jury found that a former lawyer for Depp slandered the actress.
