Amber Heard Officially Files Appeal Against Johnny Depp's Defamation Verdict to Higher Court; Here's What May Happen Next!

Amber Heard said Thursday that she will appeal the $10.35 million verdict she was forced to pay ex-husband Johnny Depp following a high-profile defamation lawsuit that exposed the inner workings of their unhappy marriage.

Heard's attorneys filed an appeal notice in Fairfax County Circuit Court after a six-week trial that featured dramatic evidence from both Amber Heard and Johnny Depp.

Amber Heard Urges New Trial to Overturn Johnny Depp's Defamation Victory

The petition informs the Virginia Court of Appeals that Heard plans to appeal the judgment, as well as any further orders made by the court, such as denying Heard's request to set aside the verdict and dismiss the lawsuit or order a new trial.

Johnny Depp sued Amber Heard for libel after an op-ed she published in The Washington Post in December 2018 characterizing herself as a public figure representing domestic abuse. Depp's attorneys said the post defamed him even though it never referenced him by name. Heard filed counterclaims, claiming that Depp's previous lawyer defamed her by publicly dismissing her allegations of abuse as fake.

The jury awarded Heard $10 million in compensatory damages and $5 million in punitive penalties against Johnny Depp. Under a state cap, the punitive damages were lowered to $350,000. On her counterclaim, the jury awarded Heard $2 million.

During the six-week trial, much of the testimony focused on Amber Heard's claims that Johnny Depp had physically and sexually abused her at least a dozen times. Depp insisted that he had never hit Heard and that she was the one who abused him, CBS News reported.

The fresh lawsuit comes after trial Judge Penney Azcarate denied Heard's post-verdict motions, alleging Depp, 59, had failed to substantiate his allegations and that the incorrect juror had been placed in the case.

Johnny Depp Reacts to Amber Heard's Action

Since her humiliating defeat, Heard has been seen shopping at TJ Maxx in the Hamptons, while Depp has been on tour in Europe with English musician Jeff Beck. Depp was recently sighted in Italy with a redhead French teacher who is assisting him in preparing for his upcoming film part, as per Fox News.

Heard's recent legal action comes as no surprise. She has vowed to challenge the decision since the day it was handed. It is unclear how she plans to fund the appeal; she has stated that she cannot pay Depp's millions in damages. While her appeal is ongoing, she must post a bail of $10.3 million plus 6% interest, according to Virginia court regulations.

In a statement, Depp's legal team stated that they are neither shocked nor alarmed by Heard's appeal. Heard's attorneys are anticipated to prepare a whole fresh appellate brief noting specific errors made by Azcarate during the trial or in post-trial motions.

The Virginia Court of Appeal is located in Richmond; it is unclear if an appeal panel of judges will consider the case. Depp's brief in response stated that Heard's legal team failed to give adequate reasons for overturning the jury's finding or retrying the case and that her arguments were outlandish and verges into the ludicrous.

Following the announcement of the appeal, some people turned to Twitter to criticize Heard, with one user even claiming, according to USA Today.

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Amber Heard, Johnny Depp