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Amber Heard might have just thrown herself into another pot of boiling water. After losing a defamation case to Johnny Depp, the Aquaman star was ordered to pay $10 million – which she says she can’t afford – and then immediately gave an interview that some say could be considered defamation – again.
Heard gave an exclusive interview to Savannah Guthrie in a special edition of Dateline to discuss the aftermath of the “trial heard ‘round the world.” Guthrie asked the actress if she was worried that Depp might sue her again after their chat aired on television. Heard replied:
“I’m scared that no matter what I do, no matter what I say or how I say it, every step that I take will present another opportunity for this sort of silencing. Which is what I guess a defamation lawsuit is meant to do. It’s meant to take your voice.”
[substack align=”right”]The jurors were of a different opinion, at least according to one who told Good Morning America that Heard’s attitude disturbed them. “The crying, the facial expressions that she had, the staring at the jury. All of us were very uncomfortable … she would answer one question and she would be crying, and two seconds later she would turn ice cold. Some of us used the expression ‘crocodile tears.’”
Jeff Lewis, a defamation lawyer in Southern California, said that once the show aired in full, Depp “technically could file a lawsuit.” Although, he admitted that it was probably unlikely. He did, however, express his surprise that Heard’s lawyers would even let her do the interview, especially since she’s trying to get out of paying Depp after losing to him in court. “I’m just super shocked that her lawyers allowed her to do it, that she’s doing it, that she’s doubling down, that she’s not going to at least let her appeal try to run its course first before doing these interviews,” he said.
Heard still owes the ACLU millions that she promised as part of her divorce agreement with Mr. Depp and says she can’t afford to pay her ex-husband the $10 million for defaming his character. Her plans to appeal the ruling may end up backfiring on her, as Lewis explained: “Defamation judgments are usually not dischargeable in bankruptcy, so if she doesn’t win her appeal, she’s stuck with paying this for the rest of her life.”
Depp’s attorneys don’t seem to be interested in starting another lawsuit, though. A spokesperson said in a statement that:
“It’s unfortunate that while Johnny is looking to move forward with his life, the defendant and her team are back to repeating, reimagining and relitigating matters that have already been decided by the Court and a verdict that was unanimously and unequivocally decided by a jury in Johnny’s favor.”
But Heard’s main goal, it seems, was to be heard. A spokesperson for the actress told Newsweek:
“Johnny Depp’s legal team blanketed the media for days after the verdict with numerous statements and interviews on television, and Depp himself did the same on social media. Ms. Heard simply intended to respond to what they aggressively did last week; she did so by expressing her thoughts and feelings, much of which she was not allowed to do on the witness stand.”
She claims to have a notebook filled with notes from her therapists that reportedly detail years of abuse. This notebook was not allowed in court. Heard claims that, if it had been permitted, the trial would have gone in a completely different direction.
Social media users, however, didn’t find Ms. Heard’s so-called evidence compelling, even saying the actress’s protestations look suspiciously similar to notes from her therapist. “That’s absolutely her handwriting,” one user posted. Another tweeted, “It’s like she didn’t even try to make them look real. Give me a break.”
Suspicious similarities between Amber Heard’s handwriting and her “therapist” notes… pay particular attention to the way the ‘e’, ‘f’ and ‘th’ is written 🤨 pic.twitter.com/4UUYXXBVgF
— Arwen sparrow 🏴☠️ (@An_elf_pirate) June 16, 2022
Some people just don’t know when to quit.
