After a year-long legal battle, Amber Heard has finally paid the $1 million settlement fee owed to Johnny Depp. This payment comes in the aftermath of Depp's victory in the high-profile defamation case against Heard.
According to court documents filed by Heard's lawyers, the Aquaman star managed to cover the settlement amount with the assistance of her insurance company, as reported by Radar Online. The libel case concluded with the jury determining that Heard had indeed defamed Depp through her domestic abuse allegations.
Following the six-week-long trial, Depp was initially ordered to pay $15 million in settlement ($10 million in compensatory damages and $5 million in punitive damages). However, after the verdict was announced, the former couple reached a separate agreement, wherein Heard agreed to pay Depp $1 million. It is worth noting that her insurance company declined to cover the settlement fee on her behalf.
The New York Marine and General Insurance Co. justified their decision by asserting that Depp's actions constituted "willful" and "malicious" misconduct by defaming his spouse. Meanwhile, Depp's former lawyer, Camille Vasquez, confirmed in an interview with People Magazine that Heard had indeed fulfilled the settlement fee obligation.
Vasquez stated emphatically, "Ms. Heard did pay Mr. Depp, not the other way around. I want to make that very, very clear. The judgment still stands and will always remain in effect."
She further mentioned, "Mr. Depp will be donating the money paid by Ms. Heard to settle the appeal to various charities. With the case now closed, we couldn't be happier for him in the best possible way."
Overall, this settlement marks the resolution of the financial aspect of the legal dispute between Amber Heard and Johnny Depp, bringing closure to the protracted and highly publicized legal battle.
