The judge who presided over Amber Heard and Johnny Depp’s defamation trial officially entered the judgement into court record Friday, and conditions may make it costly for Heard to appeal, TMZ reported.
The judge has indicated that if Heard wants to move forward with appealing the verdict, she must post bond for the $8.35 million she already owes Depp as well as an additional $621,000, according to TMZ. The nature of the 6% additional fee hasn’t been expressly explained but might be a form of interest penalty for the delay an appeal would create in the collection of the original amount that was awarded to Depp, the outlet reported.
Amber Heard is now officially on the hook for $8.35 million, and she could be on the hook for even more if she appeals the defamation verdict. https://t.co/po3aL6xPGr
— TMZ (@TMZ) June 24, 2022
The amount of money required to challenge the initial verdict doesn’t seem to have discouraging Heard from pursuing an appeal at this time. A representative for Heard said in a statement that the actress will continue forward with the process, according to TMZ.(RELATED: ‘Absolutely, I Love Him’: Amber Heard Admits Ongoing Love For Johnny Depp)
The case was originally filed by Depp as a $50 million defamation suit and led to a grueling six-week trial. Both parties made explosive allegations about one another and aired a number of personal details surrounding their relationship. Heard and Depp both accused one another of abuse.
People flocked to the Fairfax, Virginia, courthouse in advance of each trial date in hopes of catching a glimpse of what was unfolding. The case reportedly drew so much attention and caused so much chaos outside that a wristband policy was put in effect in an effort to control the swarms of eager fans that were trying to claim a place in line.