It’s been just over a week since a jury found an overwhelming majority in favor of Johnny Depp in his defamation lawsuit against ex-wife Amber Heard. The actress was hit with a judgment of more than $8 million, prompting her lawyer to say quite openly that she cannot afford it and that an appeal will be filed. Her financial situation was, of course, a hot topic of baseless speculation after those comments, and now the chatter has grown even louder after Heard was reportedly seen getting off a private plane.
According to TMZ, the Aquarius star flew a private plane to New Jersey to hold a few meetings in New York City, then flew back to DC, as she was staying nearby in Virginia. Her sister reportedly accompanied her on the trip, along with at least two other people, although it’s unclear what exactly the meetings in question were about.
Of course Amber Heard’s use of the private jet drew a lot of negative headlines and negative comments on Twitter† Saying you can’t afford to pay a court judgment and then fly privately, a luxury most people can never afford, isn’t exactly the best option, but in her defense, the situation is a bit more complicated than that. Which. There was so much focus on the process and so many people developed very aggressive opinions on the matter that buying a standard plane ticket doesn’t exactly seem advisable. Even with a mask on, she’s unlikely to be able to spend hours in an airport.
Moreover, we do not know exactly what the alleged meetings in New York were about. It’s not unheard of for studios to send private jets for major celebrities, and she’s had her share of important roles. She could have easily taken a plane that a company had sent for her. In addition, although she doesn’t seem to have $8 million in disposable income, she has plenty of very famous and very wealthy employees who have a lot of money.
Regardless of who paid for the private jet, Amber Heard has a money situation she needs to sort out. She was awarded $2 million from the jury for a statement from Depp’s former attorney, but that amount was completely swallowed by the $15 million awarded to him. That number was reduced to $10.35 million based on limits for certain damage types, bringing her total bill to $8.35 million. Depp’s lawyers have said the case was never about money for him. As such, it is possible that the two parties could come to some sort of settlement where they would settle for less or no money if they agree not to appeal the verdict.
Johnny Depp and Amber Heard were married from 2015 to 2017. Their relationship was often tumultuous and their breakup was a lengthy legal process. They’ve been in and out of different courts for years, although this most recent trial, in which they defamated and opposed each other, has attracted by far the most attention since cameras were allowed into the courtroom.
Both sides took the stand and admitted and/or accused each other of many things, including abuse and drug use, although it was the lighter topics that seemed to attract the most attention, such as who was pooping in bed. Multiple witnesses also went viral for things that happened during their testimony, including farting, dropping a sick burn, and whatever this man was doing with his mouth.
There is no timeline for when we will be aware of the appeals process and/or a settlement, but when progress is made we will follow up.