The court case between Johnny Depp and Amber Heard came to an end on June 1, with the ‘Aquaman’ actress found responsible for defaming Depp and ordered to pay him a total of $15 million.
The jury awarded $10 million in compensatory damages, which is compensation for defamation, and $5 million in punitive damages, which is the defamation penalty. But, due to a Virginia statute, Depp’s punitive damages are limited to $350,000 , which brings the total you will receive to just over $10 million.
One day after this verdict was known, Amber’s lawyer granted an interview stating, among other things, that her client could not pay that amount.
And while Heard could appeal in hopes of obtaining a more favorable judgment and reduced payment, it seems that he will start selling some of his items, including a valuable gift he received from Elon Musk in order to pay off his debt to Johnny.
Amber had a relationship with Musk, and received many gifts as a result of the billionaire like a Tesla Model X worth around $130,000.
Depp could also decide not to execute the sentence, waiving monetary damages. Even his lawyers hinted that he may not collect payment insisting that the actor is satisfied with his “total profit” to finally clear his name.
“It was never about money for Mr. Depp. It was about restoring his reputation, and he has done it. It was unanimous: there were seven people who decided that it was defamed”, said Benjamin Chew in an interview with the ‘Today’ program.
The trial between Amber Heard and Johnny Depp was due to the publication of an article in the Washington Post of 2018 defaming the actor. In the article, Amber opens up about her past experience of being a victim of domestic violence.
Initially, Depp claimed $50 million in compensation.