It looks like the legal battle between Amber Heard and Johnny Depp may not quite be over yet…
It is no secret that the 36-year-old actress has intended to appeal the verdict ever since the former couple’s defamation trial concluded last month, with the jury siding heavily in Johnny’s favor and awarding him $10.35 million. But there were a couple of roadblocks in her way — mainly the fact that she was reportedly broke due to years of lavish spending and legal fees. Her attorney Elaine Bredehoft even confirmed to Today that Amber would “absolutely not” be able to pay any massive amount to the Pirates of the Caribbean alum whatsoever.
Despite the fact that her wallet has reportedly been hurting for years now, she still vowed to appeal the case no matter how much it would cost. And let’s just say it will cost A LOT of money! Amber needed to put up a bond for the amount she owes Johnny with an annual 6 percent interest. The New York Post reported that the interest payment would be $480,000. Ouch…
In order to go around having to hand over a significant amount of money, though, she first requested a new trial — on the basis of a juror possibly being there erroneously. However, the judge denied the motion, ruling there was no fraud or reason to assume bias. It was also argued that Amber’s team could have brought up the error when they learned of it — rather than waiting until after her legal proceedings with Johnny didn’t go her way.
It was yet another huge loss for the momma of one.
But following the rejection, Amber seemingly secured the dough and decided to proceed with the next steps in her case. Her legal team officially filed the necessary docs to appeal the verdict on Thursday in Fairfax County, Virginia. A spokesperson for the Aquaman star told TMZ:
“We believe the court made errors that prevented a just and fair verdict consistent with the First Amendment. We are therefore appealing the verdict. While we realize today’s filing will ignite the Twitter bonfires, there are steps we need to take to ensure both fairness and justice.”
Meanwhile, Johnny does not seem too worried about Amber going through with the appeal. His rep also spoke to the outlet, saying:
“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 in multiple instances. We remain confident in our case and that this verdict will stand.”
We cannot say we’re surprised Amber moved forward with the appeal. But now she’s the one waging an uphill battle. Better buckle up, Perezcious readers, because this is not ending anytime soon!
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