Amber Heard wants to appeal verdict in Johnny Depp case

New York, New York – Amber Heard wants to appeal the verdict after a jury sided with Johnny Depp in his defamation trial and has "some excellent grounds" to do so, her attorney said Thursday.

Amber Heard's attorney Elaine Bredehoft said her client plans on appealing the verdict.
Amber Heard's attorney Elaine Bredehoft said her client plans on appealing the verdict.  © Collage: Evelyn Hockstein & Steve Helber / POOL / AFP

Attorney Elaine Bredehoft contended on the Today Show that "a number of things were allowed in this court that should not have been allowed."

"[Depp’s attorneys] were able to suppress the medical records, which were very, very significant because they showed a pattern going all the way back to 2012 of Amber reporting this to her therapist, for example," Bredehoft said Thursday.

"We had significant amount of texts, including from Mr. Depp’s assistants saying, 'When I told him he kicked you, he cried.'"

Kim Kardashian leaves little to the imagination as she rides motorcycle in racy SKIMs ad
Kim Kardashian Kim Kardashian leaves little to the imagination as she rides motorcycle in racy SKIMs ad

Depp, 58, sued his ex-wife Heard, 36, for $50 million over a 2018 op-ed in which she described herself as "a public figure representing domestic abuse." The piece didn’t name Depp, but Heard had previously accused the actor of domestic violence, which he denied.

Heard filed a $100 million counterclaim over comments made by a Depp attorney painting her allegations as a hoax.

"There’s no way they couldn’t have been influenced"

Elaine Bredehoft claims the jury's verdict was influenced by social media.
Elaine Bredehoft claims the jury's verdict was influenced by social media.  © STEVE HELBER / POOL / AFP

The seven-member jury said Wednesday that Depp should receive $10 million in compensatory damages and $5 million in punitive damages after reaching their decision on the third day of deliberations at the Fairfax County Circuit Courthouse in Virginia.

Judge Penney Azcarate lowered the overall judgement to $10.35 million because punitive damages are limited in the state. Heard was awarded $2 million through her countersuit.

Bredehoft said Heard isn’t able to pay the $10.35 million in damages, and said she believes the jurors were likely aware of the massive attention the trial received on social media.

Khloé Kardashian doubles down on decision not to date: "I'm not lonely"
Khloé Kardashian Khloé Kardashian doubles down on decision not to date: "I'm not lonely"

"How can you not?" Bredehoft said Thursday. "They went home every night. They have families. The families are on social media. We had a 10-day break in the middle because of the judicial conference. There’s no way they couldn’t have been influenced by it."

Heard's attorney claims Depp's team suppressed an "enormous amount of evidence"

Elaine Bredehoft claims Depp's legal team was able to suppress evidence.
Elaine Bredehoft claims Depp's legal team was able to suppress evidence.  © Collage: Jim Watson & Evelyn Hockstein / POOL / AFP

Depp previously lost a libel lawsuit against the publisher of British tabloid The Sun over an article calling him a "wife beater," with a High Court judge ruling the claims were "substantially true."

"What did Depp’s team learn from this? Demonize Amber and suppress the evidence," Bredehoft said. "We had an enormous amount of evidence that was suppressed in this case that was [used] in the UK case."

Heard’s legal team was unsuccessful in using the UK case to get Depp’s defamation trial dismissed in Virginia, Bredehoft said.

Wednesday’s verdict followed a six-week trial in which Depp denied abusing Heard and claimed she was physically violent toward him. Heard denied abusing Depp while accusing him of domestic violence and of substance issues.

"The disappointment I feel today is beyond words," Heard said in a statement Wednesday. "I’m heartbroken that the mountain of evidence still was not enough to stand up to the disproportionate power, influence, and sway of my ex-husband.

"I’m even more disappointed with what this verdict means for other women. It is a setback."

Depp, meanwhile, said in a statement after the verdict reading, "The jury gave my life back. I am truly humbled."

Cover photo: Collage: Jim Watson & Evelyn Hockstein / POOL / AFP

More on Johnny Depp: