Millions of dollars are owed after Wednesday’s verdict, when jurors sided mostly with Johnny Depp against ex-wife Amber Heard.
The judge reduced the $15 million awarded to Depp to $10.35 million (based on a Virginia state law that limits punitive damages), and Heard was awarded $2 million in damages in her defamation countersuit.
Her attorney Elaine Bredehoft said on Today Thursday morning that Heard’s next step is to appeal the verdict — and confirmed that the actress can “absolutely not” pay the damages amount.
Additionally, Bredehoft mentioned in her closing arguments last week that Heard, 36, had so far paid more than $6 million in legal costs for the trial.
Legal analyst Emily D. Baker tells PEOPLE what could happen if Heard is unable to fulfill those payments.
“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,” says Baker.
“Ben Chew said in his closing argument that Johnny Depp wasn’t seeking to punish Amber Heard with money. [Chew said on Friday to the jury: The case “has never been about money” or about “punishing” Heard.] 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.”
“If they do want to enforce the judgment,” she continues, “that starts a whole separate process in court, of potentially attaching property, setting up ways it has to 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.”
Says Baker, “If he’s not interested in the money, I think he’s more interested in her not repeating these allegations.”