Attorneys for Johnny Depp and Amber Heard were unable to reach a last-minute settlement Friday, setting the stage for what could be a lengthy — and costly — appeals process.
Fairfax County, Virginia, Judge Penney Azcarate finalized the verdict in the former couple’s defamation trial during the hearing, at which Depp and Heard were not present.
A spokesperson for Heard, 36, signaled that the “Aquaman” actress plans to file an appeal.
“You don’t ask for a pardon if you are innocent. And, you don’t decline to appeal if you know you are right,” she said in a statement to The Post Friday.
After 21 days, the case will move to the Court of Appeals of Virginia, and then the parties will have 30 days to file a notice of appeal.
Under the judgment order that was entered into the docket Friday afternoon, Depp and Heard will be required to post their judgments of $2 million and $10.35 million, respectively, plus 6% interest per year.
A source familiar with the proceedings told The Post that the judge entered Depp’s version of the verdict on paper in its entirely, rejecting all of Heard’s proposed edits, and Depp’s legal team did not request an injunction against his ex-wife.
According to the source, the court also ruled that if Heard were to bring an appeal, she would have to post bond equal to the entire amount of the judgment, plus $480,000 in interest payments.
On June 1, a Virginia jury awarded Depp $15 million in damages — which was reduced to $10.35 million because of caps set by state law — after finding that Heard unfairly portrayed him as an abuser in a newspaper op-ed article, and in the process injured his reputation and career.
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While jurors ruled in favor of all three of Depp’s claims of defamation, they also found that the actor’s former attorney defamed Heard in one instance, and awarded her $2 million in damages as part of her countersuit.
Earlier this month, Depp’s lawyer Benjamin Chew hinted during an interview on “Good Morning America” that the “Pirates of the Caribbean” star might be willing to forgo having his ex-wife pay him millions of dollars in damages if she agreed to not file an appeal.
“We obviously can’t disclose attorney-client communications, but as Mr. Depp testified … this was never about money for Mr. Depp,” Chew told George Stephanopoulos when asked about Heard’s fear of being left penniless.
“This was about restoring his reputation — and he’s done that,” Chew added.
Elaine Bredehoft, one of Heard’s attorneys, told NBC’s “Today” that the “Aquaman” star could not afford the $8.35 million she owed Depp.
Sources told The Post in early June that the 36-year-old actress is “broke” due to massive legal fees associated with the six-week trial.
When asked if the actress had the means to cover the judgment handed down by the jury, Bredehoft said, “Oh no, absolutely not.”
