Amber Heard plans to appeal trial verdict after jury rules she defamed Johnny Depp

Waiyee Yip,Kieran Corcoran
Updated ·2 min read
1
  • Oops!
    Something went wrong.
    Please try again later.
  • Oops!
    Something went wrong.
    Please try again later.

  • Amber Heard plans to appeal the verdict in Johnny Depp's defamation suit against her, her lawyer said.

  • Jurors found that Heard had maliciously defamed Depp in a 2018 op-ed that she wrote.

  • Heard said in a statement that she was "sad" and "heartbroken" over the verdict.

Amber Heard is looking to challenge the verdict in Johnny Depp's defamation suit against her after the jury ruled in favor of her ex-husband.

Alafair Hall, a spokesperson for Heard, said the actor planned to appeal the verdict, per The New York Times. Hall did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment.

Heard's lawyer Elaine Bredehoft confirmed the intention. She told NBC's "Today" show that Heard might try to bring evidence that was not admitted in the initial trial.

It followed Wednesday's verdict, where jurors found both Johnny Depp and Amber Heard liable for defamation against each other but awarded more financial damages to Depp.

They awarded Depp $15 million in damages, finding that Heard defamed him when she described herself as a victim of domestic violence in a 2018 Washington Post op-ed. The jury found that Heard's statements were false and made with "actual malice" against her ex-husband.

The jury also found Depp liable for defamation against Heard when one of his attorneys claimed her allegations of sexual abuse were a "hoax." They awarded Heard $2 million in compensatory damages and no punitive damages.

Heard appeared upset as the jury read the verdict. She and one of her lawyers hugged one another for an extended moment after the verdict was read.

In a statement, Heard said on Wednesday that she was "sad" and "heartbroken" over the verdict.

"The disappointment I feel today is beyond words," she said in a statement shared on Twitter. "I am heartbroken that the mountain of evidence still was not enough to stand up to the disproportionate power, influence, and sway of my ex-husband."

"I'm sad I lost this case," Heard continued. "But I am sadder still that I seem to have lost a right I thought I had as an American — to speak freely and openly."

Read the original article on Insider