Lawyer Explains What Happens If Amber Heard Fails To Pay Johnny Depp $10.35M Damages

A legal expert has explained what could happen if Amber Heard fails to pay the $10.35 million damages to Johnny Depp after the jurors sided with the actor in the controversial defamation case.

The jury delivered its verdict in the high-profile case Wednesday after finding Heard liable for defaming Depp. The judge has ordered Heard to pay Depp $15 million in damages, which was later reduced to $10.35 million in compliance with a Virginia state law that limits punitive damages.

However, Heard’s attorney Elaine Bredehoft said in an interview Thursday that the actress was looking to appeal the verdict, saying she’s “absolutely not” able to pay the total amount of the damages.

In a statement to People, legal expert Emily D. Baker revealed what could happen if the “Aquaman” actress fails to fulfill her financial obligations to Depp. “It will be up to the parties, but once the judgment is entered on June 24, I wonder if the attorneys will start negotiating that judgment payment,” she said.

“Ben Chew said in his closing argument that Johnny Depp wasn’t seeking to punish Amber Heard with money. I imagine that they will try to settle it and you’ll see a PR statement that they are not seeking to enforce the judgment,” she added.

Baker also explained that if they seek to enforce the judgment, then that would start a whole separate process in court that may include attaching property and setting up ways the damages could be paid.

“I imagine, and if I’m team Depp, this is what I would do—they’d look at getting an injunction to stop Amber Heard from repeating statements that the jury found were defamatory and then stipulating that the payments won’t be made and there won’t be any judgment outstanding,” the legal expert said, adding that if Depp isn’t interested in the money, then he might be more interested in Heard not repeating the same allegations.

“Getting the judgment is one thing. Getting the money is a whole separate thing,” she explained.

Heard’s net worth is unknown, although she testified during the trial that she was paid $1 million for “Aquaman” and $2 million for “Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom.”

After Wednesday’s verdict, she was awarded $2 million in damages after the jury found she had been defamed by Depp’s lawyer Adam Waldman when he claimed her abuse allegations were a “hoax.”

Heard also revealed during the trial that she was unable to donate her $7 million divorce payout from Depp to charity because of the $50 million defamation lawsuit filed by the actor against her, saying she needed to hold onto her money for legal expenses.