LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Johnny Depp and Amber Heard have finally settled their defamation claims and if a report from Radar Online is to be believed, one of Heard's insurers have now covered the cost of her settlement fee. Back in December 2022, it was reported that Heard’s insurance company will pay Depp $1 million to put an end to the case.
Heard, 36, was ordered to pay $10 million in compensatory damages and $365,000 in punitive damages following the six-week case, while Depp, 59, was told to give her $2 million. Heard is currently living a life in Spain as she seeks to put the courtroom drama behind her once and for all. Depp on the other hand, recently enjoyed being the toast of the Cannes film festival which saw him receive a 7-minute standing ovation for his historical drama film 'Jeanne du Barry'. On Tuesday, Eriq Gardner, Founding Partner, and National Correspondent for Puck News, tweeted the recent news.
The former lovers did, however, come to an agreement following the announcement of the verdict; Heard agreed to pay Depp $1 million, but her insurance company refused to pay the settlement amount on her behalf. The court cases, according to Heard's shocking declaration on Instagram, "destroyed my life as I knew it." "After a great deal of deliberation, I have made a very difficult decision to settle the defamation case brought against me by my ex-husband in Virginia. It's important for me to say that I never chose this," she penned.
Last year, Radar Online reported that she was attempting to get her insurance company to fund a part of the verdict. The actress was attempting to use a $1 million liability policy with New York Marine and General Insurance Co. that covers defamation and other sorts of misconduct. She defamed the Pirates of the Caribbean actor with "willful" and "malicious" intent, according to the insurance company, who wasn't having it at the time and argued that under California law, they weren't required to pay out any money.
What did Camille Vasquez say?
Meanwhile, in an interview with People, Depp's former lawyer Camille Vasquez stated that Heard had cleared the settlement amount. "Ms. Heard did pay Mr. Depp, not the other way around. I want to make that very, very clear," Vasquez stated. "The judgment still stands. It will always still stand for the remainder of time." She added, "And Mr. Depp will be donating the money that Ms. Heard paid to settle the appeal to a number of charities. Case closed, and we couldn't be happier about it for him in the best possible way."
