The last couple of years have seen Johnny Depp and Amber Heard spend more time in courtrooms than they have on movie screens. While we thought that we had not seen the end of things, as both parties had appealed the verdicts in the defamation case from earlier this year, earlier today we learned Heard and Depp had settled, and it's now being reported that the settlement amount was a lot less than Heard had been ordered to pay.
How Much Amber Heard Will Pay Johnny Depp
TMZ is reporting that the settlement between Depp and Heard will see the Aquaman actress pay the Pirates of the Caribbean star $1 million. That's significantly less than the $15 million in damages that Heard had been initially ordered to pay. That amount was lowered by Virginia law to slightly over $10 million, and would have also been offset slightly by $2 million that had been awarded to Heard's counterclaim. Even with that taken into account, however, the settlement is a deal for Heard.
In a statement released on Instagram, Amber Heard announced her decision to settle the case. As part of the settlement she admitted to nothing, though the trial verdict still stands. The actress makes it clear that the decision to settle simply came from wanting to be done with this issue and put it behind her.
What Johnny Depp Will Do With The Money
In a statement from Jonny Depp's attorneys (via People) it's made clear that the actor plans to donate the $1 million to charity. While it's unclear which charities will receive what amounts, the gesture is designed to make its own point. Whether or not Amber Heard had ever made promised donations to charity became a talking point during the case, which is referenced is the statement, which reads...
The payment of $1M - which Mr. Depp is pledging and will (actually) donate to charities - reinforces Ms. Heard's acknowledgement of the conclusion of the legal system's rigorous pursuit for justice.
Both sides had appealed the verdicts in the defamation case and so it was certainly possible that an appeals court could have drastically changed the jury's verdict. It seems unlikely however that the award against Heard would have been completely set aside, and as such, this is likely the best possible deal she could have hoped for. Heard recently sold a home for over $1 million, so while the pay out is still significant, there's no reason to believe she can't ultimately afford it.
This would appear to end this ongoing legal battle once and for all. There will likely continue to be a war of words between the two sides. Heard admits no wrong doing and says she's settling because she wants to put it all behind her, while Depp's side says the fact that she's paying shows that she was in the wrong.
