Amber Heard is reportedly planning to appeal the verdict of ex-husband Johnny Depp’s defamation trial after the latter won his case and was awarded a total of $15 million in damages at the Fairfax County Courthouse in Virginia heard on Wednesday. The Aquaman star, who is rumored to be getting axed from the sequel, still won one of her three defamation countersuit claims and was awarded $2 million. But according to reports, the Texas native intends to appeal the decision, with the possibility that the hefty amount she now owes Johnny could be significantly reduced if things go in her favor.
Following the verdict, Amber wasted no time releasing an official statement on her social media platform. She insisted that the jury’s decision to side with Johnny was a “setback” for women who have come forward about domestic abuse, only to be humiliated and ridiculed after doing so. “The disappointment I feel today is beyond words,” she wrote. “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.”
“I’m even more disappointed with what this verdict means for other women,” Amber continued. “It is a setback. It sets back the clock to a time when a woman who spoke up and spoke out could be publicly shamed and humiliated. It sets back the idea that violence against women is to be taken seriously.” The defamation lawsuit was filed by Johnny, whose legal team argued that the 2018 op-ed written by Amber in The Washington Post about domestic abuse had heavily implied she was referring to her ex-husband, whom she had finalized her divorce with just one year prior.
View this post on Instagram
As fans may have noticed, Johnny was not present for yesterday’s verdict due to work commitments he had scheduled before the trial commenced, keeping in mind that due to sufficient evidence that still hadn’t been shown in court, the proceedings were extended by an additional week.
Instead, the Pirates of the Caribbean star was celebrating his win while out in the UK, where he has been touring with fellow friend and musician Jeff Back. In a separate statement posted on his social media, the Hollywood A-lister expressed, “Six years ago, my life, the life of my children, the lives of those closest to me, and also, the lives of the people who for many, many years have supported and believed in me were forever changed.
RELATED: Johnny Depp Reacts To Winning Defamation Suit Against Amber Heard: ‘I Have My Life Back’
“All in the blink of an eye. False, very serious and criminal allegations were levied at me via the media, which triggered an endless barrage of hateful content, although no charges were ever brought against me.” Johnny concluded his heartfelt words by saying that he now feels “at peace” knowing he’s been cleared of the accusations that had tarnished his image and the lives of those closest to him, signing off by saying that the truth never perishes.