Amber Heard is appealing Johnny Depp’s watershed libel victory against her.
Heard’s lawyers filed a notice of appeal in the case at the Virginia Court of Appeals in Fairfax on Thursday, according to the Daily Mail.
BREAKING: As expected, #AmberHeard files a notice of appeal with VA Court of Appeals. #JohnnyDepp team issues a statement below. More expected from Heard camp later. Special @LawCrimeNetwork Sidebar coming later today. You won’t want to miss it ? pic.twitter.com/ZzM4MHGKpT
— Angenette Levy (@Angenette5) July 21, 2022
The notice of appeal comes after Heard’s lawyers filed a request for a new trial with Judge Penny Azcarate earlier this month.
Heard’s lawyers claimed one juror had served on the case improperly, participating in the trial after being confused with his own father.
Judge Azcarate rejected Heard’s argument of improprieties in the trial.
The dramatic defamation trial ended with a victory for Depp, who accused Heard of falsely maligning him as a domestic abuser in a Washington Post op-ed, among other instances.
Does her appeal stand a chance?
Heard was found liable for a whopping $10 million in compensatory damages and $5 million in punitive damages in the trial, which ended in June.
Virginia caps punitive damages at $350,000, and Heard won $2 million in compensatory damages of her own in a counter-suit, leaving her on the hook for a $8.35 million debt to her ex-husband.
Heard has indicated she’s incapable of paying the damages to Depp.
It’s possible she’ll file for bankruptcy if her legal avenues to challenge the verdict aren’t victorious.
In a statement provided to the Daily Mail, representatives for Depp expressed confidence that Heard’s appeal bid wouldn’t reverse the result of the civil trial.
‘The jury listened to the extensive evidence presented during the six-week trial and came to a clear and unanimous verdict that the defendant herself defamed Mr. Depp, in multiple instances.”
“We remain confident in our case and that this verdict will stand.”
A representative for Heard confirmed that she had appealed the case in a statement that criticized “Twitter bonfires.”
UPDATE: statement from #AmberHeard on Notice of Appeal below ? pic.twitter.com/x50mZNlwm9
— Angenette Levy (@Angenette5) July 21, 2022
The defamation trial between Heard and Depp captivated the attention of millions, and it’s likely that any appeal proceedings would be similarly viewed.
