RICHMOND, Va. –
Amber Heard informed a Virginia court on Thursday that she will appeal the $10.35 million judgment she was ordered to pay to ex-husband Johnny Depp in a high-profile defamation trial that has been exposed. reveal the inner workings of their troubled marriage.
Heard’s attorneys filed the notice of appeal in Fairfax County Court, where a six-week trial featured compelling testimony from both Heard and Depp. The document informs the Virginia Court of Appeals that Heard intends to appeal the ruling, as well as the decisions the judge made after the ruling, including dismissing Heard’s request to reserve the judgment and dismissing the case. or order a new trial.
“We believe the court made mistakes that prevented a fair and First Amendment judgment. We are therefore appealing the ruling,” a Heard spokesperson said in a statement. “While we realize filing today will burn Twitter, there are steps we need to take to ensure both fairness and justice.”
Depp sued Heard for defamation in a December 2018 issue in which she wrote in The Washington Post describing herself as “a figurehead for domestic abuse”. Depp’s lawyers allege he was defamed by the article even though it never mentioned him by name. Heard filed an objection, alleging that Depp’s former lawyer smeared her by making her abuse allegations a hoax.
The jury ordered Heard to pay Depp $10 million and $5 million in punitive damages. The punitive damages were reduced to $350,000 under the state cap. The jury awarded Heard $2 million against her counterclaim.
Much of the testimony during the six-week trial focused on Heard’s claims that she had been physically and sexually abused by Depp at least a dozen times. Depp insists she never hit Heard and that she is an abuser.
A Depp spokesperson said: “The jury heard extensive evidence presented during the six-week trial and came to a clear and unanimous verdict that the defendant himself defamed Mr. in many cases”. “We remain confident in our case and this ruling will come into force.”
