The legal battle between Johnny Depp and Amber Heard continues. After a six-week televised trial with both actors suing one another for defamation, the jury sided pretty heavily in Depp’s favor. He was awarded $15 million in damages which was later reduced to $10.35 million due to Virginia law. However, Heard did pick up a small victory with the jury also finding Depp liable for defamation in Heard’s counterclaim based on public comments made by his previous attorney, Adam Waldman. Heard was awarded $2 million in damages.

Following the verdict, Heard’s legal team had motioned for a retrial on the grounds that one of the jurors had allegedly been fraudulent. When that was denied, Heard formally appealed the verdict. Per the L.A. Times, it has now been revealed that Depp’s attorneys have responded by appealing the verdict in Heard’s counterclaim. They also released a statement announcing the appeal, which suggests that Depp had intended to “move on” before taking this new action in response to Heard’s appeal.

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“The verdict speaks for itself, and Mr. Depp believes that this a time for both parties to move on with their lives and heal,” Depp’s attorneys stated. “But if Ms. Heard is determined to pursue further litigation by appealing the verdict, Mr. Depp is filing a concurrent appeal to ensure that the full record and all legal issues are considered by the Court of Appeal.”

A previous statement released after Heard first filed the appeal noted, “The jury listened to the extensive evidence presented during the six-week trial and came to a clear and unanimous verdict that the defendant herself defamed Mr. Depp, in multiple instances. We remain confident in our case and that this verdict will stand.”

Johnny Depp Has Found Vindication After the Jury Verdict

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While the jury sided in Johnny Depp’s favor for the most part, the actor has continued to be hit with additional legal setbacks in the weeks since. He was set to go on trial this month in a separate case as he had been sued by a City of Lies crew member for an alleged assault on the set of the 2017 film. The trial was canceled after Depp’s attorneys negotiated a settlement, the terms of which have not been disclosed. Meanwhile, Depp was also ordered to pay the ACLU $38,000 for costs related to the defamation case.

With that said, the future looks much brighter for Depp than had been the case before the trial. Because of the allegations Amber Heard had leveled against him, Depp says he had been fired from major roles in the Pirates of the Caribbean and Fantastic Beasts movie franchises. Now, he’s already back to picking up starring roles in new films, as he will play King Louis XV in the upcoming French flick La Favorite. That movie will stream on Netflix France after its theatrical run.

Depp is also performing on stage at concerts with his musician friend Jeff Beck. He also recently announced a 2023 tour with his band Hollywood Vampires. No matter what happens with the defamation trial appeals, Depp seems to be vindicated in the eyes of the public and we’re likely to see much, much more of him in the future.