Cal Gaunt
Amber Heard has filed a lawsuit against her insurance company as the Johnny Depp defamation saga rumbles on.
Earlier this year, a court found Aquaman star Heard, 36, guilty of defaming her ex-husband, Pirates of the Caribbean actor Depp, 59.
The Charlie and the Chocolate Factory star claimed that an op-ed about domestic violence that Heard wrote for The Washington Post in 2018 defamed him.
Despite her never naming him in the piece, the Oscar-nominated Edward Scissorhands actor alleged that it had caused ‘significant damage’ to his career and reputation.
Watch as Amber Heard’s lawyer says the actress can’t afford to pay her ex-husband Johnny Depp damages…
After six weeks of high-profile back and forth in the courtroom, the jury ordered Heard to pay Depp £8.3 million in compensatory damages.
Heard is now reportedly suing New York Marine and General Insurance Co., after taking out a $1 million policy, which is said to have covered defamation.
Heard believes that her insurer should cover some of the money she owes Depp, but the company has previously said they do not have to pay as she was found guilty of ‘wilful misconduct’.
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New York Marine and General Insurance Co. said their actions are supported by California law, which states that insurance companies do not need to payout in the event of ‘wilful acts’.
Heard, though, claims that she took out an ‘unconditional deal’ in court documents obtained by TMZ – meaning the insurer would be liable to pay $1 million of her debts.
She is not the only one trying to get around the trial’s repercussions, as Depp is also appealing the money that he owes Heard.
Depp had originally sought $50 million in damages from Heard and she countersued for $100 million.
Despite losing the trial, she was ultimately awarded $2 million after the jury found Depp’s lawyer, Adam Waldman, had defamed her by saying that her allegations of domestic abuse were ‘an ambush, a hoax’.
Depp is now arguing that he should not be held legally responsible for his employees’ actions.
According to The Independent, the actor’s brief said: “The judgement in Ms Heard’s favour on that lone statement is erroneous.
“As a matter of law, Mr Waldman is an independent contractor, whose allegedly tortious conduct is not automatically attributable to Mr Depp.”
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It went on to say that Depp’s claims that his ex-wife’s op-ed was defamatory were proven by the court.
It added that there was no evidence to suggest that Depp had any influence or involvement in Waldman’s choice of words when describing Heard’s claims.
Heard is also appealing the defamation verdict, arguing that the 2020 UK libel verdict in her favour should have been used as evidence.
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