There are messy celebrity divorces, and then there’s the infamous split between Johnny Depp and Amber Heard. The two actors have been battling in court for years, and that’s only continued following the verdict of their defamation suits. The Aquaman star was found guilty on three counts, and ordered to pay her ex over $10 million after the dust settled. But could Heard just file for bankruptcy to avoid paying Depp this sum?
$10 million is a truly insurmountable sum of money for most people, including celebrities like Amber Heard. Her lawyer has gone on record saying she won’t be able to pay those millions of dollars, with the legal team continuing to attempt some appeals. But could bankruptcy help Amber Heard? According to a report by Law and Crime, the short answer is no.
Unfortunately for Amber Heard, declaring bankruptcy won’t help her avoid paying Johnny Depp over the defamation case. Instead, going this route might help Heard slow down the payments. And with Heard’s legal team continuing to make appeals over the verdict, this might be able to buy her time as well. Clearly the ongoing legal battle isn’t going to end anytime soon.
This report came before Amber Heard and Johnny Depp’s most recent appeals regarding the defamation case. Heard’s lawyers have been attempting to have the verdict thrown out through a number of different strategies. Depp most recently filed his own appeal, despite largely being the victor in court. The Pirates of the Caribbean actor’s team offered a statement which explained their reasoning; saying:
The verdict speaks for itself, and Mr. Depp believes that this a time for both parties to move on with their lives and heal. But if Ms. Heard is determined to pursue further litigation by appealing the verdict, Mr. Depp is filing a concurrent appeal to ensure that the full record and all legal issues are considered by the Court of Appeal.
This appeal contests the $2 million that Johnny Depp was ordered to pay Amber Heard, since he too was found guilty on one defamation count. The $2 million helps to reduce how much Heard has to pay her ex-husband, but it looks like Depp’s lawyers are trying to get that tossed out. If successful, his ex-wife could owe even more money.
The financial stakes are clearly high in this situation, especially for Amber Heard. If Johnny Depp is pursuing the $10 million payout (and it looks like he is), this could mean big things for the Aquaman star. She could end up losing any property she owns, and might even have to pay Depp future wages. And since she hasn’t been working all that much lately, that could be a debt she truly struggles to pay off.
Johnny Depp is gearing up to film his first post-trial movie, while also touring as a musician. As for Amber Heard, she’ll appear in Aquaman 2 on March 17th, 2023. In the meantime, check out the 2022 movie release dates to plan your next movie experience.