On Friday, June 24th, Judge Penny Askrid filed a judgment order reflecting the verdict reached in the Johnny Depp versus Amber Heard trial. The jury ruled Amber defamed her former husband, Johnny Depp, bringing an end to the six-week trial. A source close to the court reported that the judge entered Depp’s version of the verdict on paper in its entirety, rejecting all of Amber’s proposed edits.
Attorneys for Johnny Depp and Amber Heard were unable to reach a last-minute settlement, setting the stage for a lengthy and costly appeal process.
A representative for Amber indicated she plans to appeal the verdict, with 30 days to file a notice of appeal. Judge Askarit, who presided over the six-week trial in Fairfax County, Virginia, did not immediately enter the jury verdict into the docket. Instead, she said Dab and Amber had until June 24th to come up with a settlement, which she would enter instead of the verdict. If they failed to reach a settlement, the jury verdict would stand.
The amount owed by each party was subject to a six percent annual interest rate in accordance with Virginia law. neither debt nor Amber was present in the courthouse following the hearing. A spokesperson for the London Fields actress issued a statement referring to republican members of Congress asking for pardons amid their attempts to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election.
Depp’s attorneys objected the $2 million judgment against them, leaving open the possibility he may appeal that portion of the verdict. Benjamin Chu, an attorney representing Depp, hinted at the possibility of a settlement in an interview with Good Morning America host George Stephanopoulos shortly after the trial. Experts concluded that Amber lost her defamation case because she didn’t come off as credible and lacked her ex-husband’s star power.