Johnny Depp filed Friday to appeal the $2 million judgment in his ex-wife Amber Heard’s countersuit against him, according to papers obtained by Forbes, days after she filed to appeal the $10.4 million judgment in his defamation suit against her.
Johnny Depp Files to Appeal $2 Million Verdict in Amber Heard Defamation Countersuit
Heard’s 2018 op-ed in which she described experiencing domestic abuse led to Depp suing her for $50 million in defamation. Although Depp’s name was not mentioned in the article, the actor said the implication cost him his acting career.
Heard later countersued Depp for $100 million after his lawyer called her claims of abuse a fraud in remarks. Heard received a $10.4 million judgment after the jury ultimately found that Heard had falsely accused Depp on all charges.
Heard received $2 million as part of her countersuit victory.
However, her lawyers filed to appeal the judgment, saying they “believe the court made errors that prevented a just and fair verdict consistent with the First Amendment.”
“While we realize today’s filing will ignite the Twitter bonfires, there are steps we need to take to ensure both fairness and justice.”
At the time, representatives for Depp said they “remain confident in our case and that this verdict will stand.”
Nevertheless, a source close to Depp tells PEOPLE it was an “overwhelmingly positive verdict” for the actor, who “believes that this is a time for both parties to move on with their lives and heal.”
The source adds, “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 relevant legal issues are considered by the Court of Appeal.”
