If Amber Heard thought she was strapped for cash, just wait until she appeals!
On Friday, Judge Penney Azcarate finalized the verdict made in Amber’s defamation case against Johnny Depp — and the result now makes the potential legal move extremely costly!
For starters, the judge confirmed that both parties will have to pay what they owe based on the jury’s verdict. That means Amber needs to fork over $10.35 million and Johnny $2 million. They will each owe 6% interest for every year the judgment goes unpaid, according to The New York Post. But the most interesting part of the court filing comes with the appeal, which now has some very expensive strings attached!
Related: Amber Heard Reportedly In Talks To Write ‘Tell-All’ About Depp Marriage!
Via TMZ, the judge stated that if Amber appeals the verdict, she must post a bond in the full amount that she owes Depp — PLUS another 6% in interest (or about $621k). The Post stated though that the interest payment would total $480,000. Either way, for someone who is supposedly already “broke,” that’s a big deal!
No matter how much money she might end up owing, it doesn’t sound like the Aquaman star is having second thoughts about submitting an appeal. Her representative released a statement to TMZ declaring that she still plans to move forward with the legal motion. Oddly comparing the situation to the January 6 hearings, the rep said:
“As stated in yesterday’s congressional hearings, you don’t ask for a pardon if you are innocent. And, you don’t decline to appeal if you know you are right.”
Hmm. Kinda strange wording there. But we get the point: Amber’s not going down without a fight! Even if it ends up costing her more money in the long run.
What are the chances of her winning? It’s hard to know, but seeing that the jury sided so strongly with the Pirates of the Caribbean star, it does seem like an uphill battle for her!
Interestingly, a source close to the proceedings told The Post that Judge Penney entered Depp’s version of the verdict in the court record while finalizing the case — which didn’t include any of the edits Amber’s team had proposed. Again, not looking too hopeful for Amber! But Johnny’s team also didn’t request an injunction against his ex-wife who has continued to spew allegations of abuse despite the verdict. That doesn’t mean he couldn’t sue her again for defamation, but it does seem like they’re not too worried about that at the moment. As for the money?
Related: Johnny Depp Gets Support From Disneyland Paris After Amber Heard Verdict!
Well, that’s reportedly never been Depp’s prime objective either. Earlier this month, his attorney Ben Chew suggested that the actor might consider making a deal with Amber to forgo her debt if she agrees not to file an appeal, he said on Good Morning America:
“We obviously can’t disclose attorney-client communications, but as Mr. Depp testified and as we both made clear in our respective closings, this was never about money for Mr. Depp. So, this was about restoring his reputation and he’s done that.”
It doesn’t sound like Amber has entertained any kind of deal… but would this new money situation change her mind?! We’ll have to wait and see! According to The Post, after 21 days, the case will move to the Court of Appeals of Virginia and the embattled star will have 30 days to file a notice of appeal. Thoughts, Perezcious readers?!
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