'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
The Johnny Depp vs. Amber Heard defamation case finally came to a close on June 1, 2022. The seven-body jury shared a unanimous verdict and declared Depp the winner of the longstanding lawsuit.
Jurors ruled that Heard defamed Depp in her 2018 Washington Post op-ed by claiming to be an alleged domestic violence survivor and ordered the Aquaman star to pay $15 million to her ex-husband.
Depp’s $15 million award was divided into $10 million in compensatory damages and $5 million in punitive damages. The latter was then reduced to $350,000 to comply with a Virginia law that limits punitive damages to that amount.
Amber Heard was also awarded $2 million for winning one claim related to Johnny Depp’s former lawyer Adam Waldman. The jury announced that Waldman defamed Heard while sharing certain statements about the actress to the press.
Following the ruling, multiple reports suggested that the verdict would have a major impact on Heard’s net worth and finances as she currently owes Depp quite a substantial amount of money.
A look into Amber Heard’s net worth after the defamation trial verdict
In the wake of the Johnny Depp vs. Amber Heard defamation verdict, Celebrity Net Worth reported that Heard’s current net worth stands at -8 million. Prior to the ruling, the publication noted that the actress had an approximate net worth of $2.5 million.
Heard dropped out of high school in Texas and moved to New York at the age of 17. Following a few modelling gigs in the Big Apple, she shifted to Los Angeles to pursue a career in acting. After a few appearances in music videos, Heard bagged roles in TV shows such like Jack & Bobby, The Mountain, and The O.C.
The Texas-native made her feature film debut with Friday Night Lights and earned more roles in films like North Country, Side FX, Price to Pay, You Are Here, and Alpha Dog. She also appeared on the TV shows Criminal Minds and Californication.
Amber Heard received commercial success films such as Pineapple Express, Never Back Down, and Zombieland, before going on to appear in more movies, including The Rum Diary, ExTerminators and Drive Angry, among others.
The actress also had a successful year in 2015 with films like Magic Mike XXL, The Danish Girl, The Adderall Diaries, and One More Time. Heard’s biggest success arrived when she managed to bag a role in DCEU after being cast as Mera in Justice League. She also reprised her role in Aquaman.
Unfortunately, Heard’s growing career graph was affected when she filed for divorce from Johnny Depp in 2016 and got involved in a defamation lawsuit against her ex-husband in 2018. According to the testimonies presented in the Depp vs. Heard trial, the actress reportedly earned $10 million in pre-tax income from all sources, including salaries and endorsements between 2013 and 2019.
She also reportedly experienced her highest-earnings period in 2019 with an income of $3 million. During the trial, it was also mentioned that Heard signed a 4-picture deal with Warner Brothers and earned $450,000 for her first movie with the company.
The actress reportedly earned $1 million for Aquaman and was allegedly guaranteed approximately $2 million for the sequel. It was also revealed that Heard earned $200,000 per episode in The Stand and had a $1.625 million two-year contract with L'Oreal.
Celebrity Net Worth noted that Amber Heard filed for spousal support following her divorce from Johnny Depp. However, as per the 2012 court filings, her lawyers allegedly agreed to “keep the matter out of the spotlight” if the actress continued to use a Range Rover, live in three of Depp’s Los Angeles penthouse apartments and receive $125,000 for legal and accounting expenses.
Court documents also revealed that Heard’s monthly expenses included costs like $10,000 for rent, $2,000 a month for eating out, and $10,000 for pet supplies and legal charges. The actress then demanded $50,000 per month from Depp to cover various expenses, claiming that she only made $27,000 in royalties from various films.
Official papers also revealed that Heard was only left with a net income of only $40,000 in 2014 after spending almost $210,000 from her $250,000 for the year. Heard reportedly submitted documents that proved her savings only ranged around $25,000 at the time. However, the actress had to eventually withdraw her request for spousal support.
Multiple reports claimed that Amber Heard’s legal fees in the defamation case against Johnny Depp were largely covered by her homeowner's insurance until the final verdict. It is not known if her insurance is eligible to cover full damages, but it is also possible that the damages could be reduced on appeal.
Heard is likely to face a financial struggle to afford compensation for Depp if her insurance does not cover the damages.
