As previously announced, American actress Amber Heard will appeal against the verdict in the libel case against her ex-husband Johnny Depp. The two sides met on Friday to discuss a compensation settlement. Instead, Heard’s lawyer said the actress will appeal. However, the high costs can throw a spanner in the works.
According to Deadline the judge has decided that Heard must hand over more than $ 8 million (converted 7.9 million euros) in bail to prosecute the lawsuit. She also has to pay 6 percent interest on that amount to Depp for each year that the case drags on.
Lawyer Elaine Bredehoft previously said that it is “impossible” for the actress to transfer that amount. “But you won’t settle if you’re innocent. And you won’t avoid an appeal if you know you’re right,” said a spokesperson for Heard’s legal team.
Depp and Heard battled a grueling libel case that was closely watched worldwide as the hearings were broadcast live online. Depp was eventually found right on all counts by the jury, forcing Heard to pay him $15 million. Depp in turn has to pay 2 million dollars to Heard, who was found in the right on a number of points.
Both sides had hoped for more. Depp asked for $50 million, Heard demanded double.
Heard almost immediately announced that she would appeal
Heard said he was “broken” by the jury’s verdict. “I can’t put into words how disappointed I am. My heart is broken. A mountain of evidence was not enough against the extraordinary influence my ex-husband has,” wrote the actress.
After that, Heard appeared several times on talk shows, where she claimed to have found additional evidence for her case. That evidence would exonerate her on appeal, she claims.
Depp wrote on Instagram after the libel case that the jury has given him his life back. “My goal was to reveal the truth, no matter what the outcome. I owed it to my children and the people who support me to tell the truth. And now that I’ve done that, I feel at peace.”
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