Amber Heard’s lawyer Elaine Bredehoft confirmed on “Today” that the “Aquaman” actor cannot afford to pay just over $10 million in damages to Johnny Depp. The defamation trial between Depp and Heard came to an end June 1 when the jury ruled that Heard defamed Depp when she wrote a Washington Post op-ed in 2018 and alluded to her past claims of domestic violence against Depp.
When asked by “Today” host Savannah Guthrie if Heard would be able to afford the $10 million in damages that’s she’s being ordered to pay, Bredehoft answered bluntly, “Oh no. Absolutely not.”
The jury awarded Depp $10 million in compensatory damages, plus $5 million in punitive damages — which Judge Penney Azcarate reduced to $350,000 in accordance with the state’s statutory cap. That brings the total to $10.35 million. The jury also ruled that Depp defamed Heard, through his attorney, while fighting back against her charges. Heard has been awarded to $2 million in compensatory damages for her counterclaim.
Elsewhere in her “Today” interview, Bredehoft went on record saying that Heard will “absolutely” want to appeal the trial verdict. The attorney also blasted the jury, claiming the group was swayed in Depp’s favor because of the vitriol Heard received on social media throughout the trial.
“The disappointment I feel today is beyond words,” Heard wrote in a statement following the verdict. “I’m heartbroken that the mountain of evidence still was not enough to stand up to the disproportionate power, influence, and sway of my ex-husband.”
EXCLUSIVE: @SavannahGuthrie talks to Amber Heard’s attorney, Elaine Charlson Bredhoft, following Johnny Depp’s legal win. pic.twitter.com/i1EOlz1NcU
— TODAY (@TODAYshow) June 2, 2022