OPINION | This article contains the author's opinion.
Appearing on NBC’s “Today,” Amber Heard’s lawyer said her client is not able to pay the $10.35 million in damages that she owes her ex-husband, actor Johnny Depp.
When asked if Heard is able to pay, attorney Elaine Bredehoft responded, “Oh no, absolutely not.”
A jury found Heard guilty of defaming Depp by publishing false and defamatory statements in a 2018 op-ed in The Washington Post.
Although Depp won $10 million in compensatory damages and $5 million in punitive damages, the amount was reduced by the judge due to limits on punitive damages in Virginia law. Watch the clip:
EXCLUSIVE: Amber Heard's attorney tells @savannahguthrie the actor "absolutely" plans to appeal. pic.twitter.com/DRGjNBqzdy
— TODAY (@TODAYshow) June 2, 2022
“I think some of it had to do with the amount of social media that was involved, the cameras in the courtroom,” Bredehoft said.
“The fact that they had 100 Depp fans in there every day, it was like coliseum as opposed to a dignified courtroom. I think all of those things had a negative influence here that caused this to be much more challenging and much more difficult.”
“But reality is social media is everywhere, it was all over the TVs the radios, the internet, everywhere,” she said. “It was really hard to block that out. And since it was so vitriolic to Amber I think it made it a lot more difficult.”
Depp thank the jury for giving him his “life back.”
Depp responded in a statement by saying, “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.”
“It had already traveled around the world twice within a nanosecond and it had a seismic impact on my life and my career.”