According to US media reports, Amber Heard (36) appealed the decision of a Virginia court on Thursday. The actress had been sentenced to pay her ex-husband Johnny Depp (59) more than ten million dollars in a defamation lawsuit.
Heard’s attorneys now appear to have filed documents with a Fairfax court. In it, the lawyers are said to have announced that Heard intends to appeal the verdict. The actress also wants to take action against decisions made by the judge after the trial, including the rejection of Heard’s request to have the judgment overturned.
“We believe the court made errors that prevented a just and fair trial consistent with the First Amendment,” CNN quoted a statement from Heard’s team as saying. “We are therefore appealing the verdict.”
A spokesperson for Johnny Depp told CNN: “The jury listened to the extensive evidence presented during the six-week trial and came to a clear and unanimous verdict that the defendant herself defamed Mr. Depp on multiple counts. We We remain confident in our case and that this verdict will stand.”
A Virginia judge recently denied motions Heard had filed to challenge the jury’s verdict.
In early June, Depp won the defamation lawsuit against Heard after around six weeks of the trial. He sued her for $50 million for an article she published in the Washington Post in 2018. In it, she claimed to be a victim of domestic violence. She did not mention her ex-husband by name. Depp nevertheless claimed the post ruined his career, damaged his reputation and cost him a lot of money.
The jury awarded Depp $15 million in damages, but Heard only has to pay $10.35 million under a Virginia law that limits punitive damages. Heard was also awarded $2 million in damages for her counterclaims against Depp.
