Johnny Depp finally cleared his name and defeat Amber Heard in the defamation trial, and the development put Heard in big trouble.
On Wednesday, the jury unanimously found that Heard knew her claims of abuse were false when she published 2018 The Washington Post op-ed. The verdict also concluded that she failed to validate her allegations against the actor.
Depp sued Heard over the article in which she claimed she had become a "public figure representing domestic abuse." With the final findings, it is safe to say that the op-ed truly affected the actor's career.
The jury ultimately awarded the "Pirates of the Caribbean" actor with $10 million in compensatory damages and $5 million in punitive damages, as quoted by Deadline.
However, Fairfax County Circuit Court Judge Penney Azcarate reduced the punitive damages to $350,000, as it is the state's statutory cap or legal limit.
Since Heard has to settle his total damages of $10.4 million, questions about how she would settle it went viral again.
Amber Heard Facing Financial Troubles?
Before the verdict came out, a legal expert said that Heard might have to file for bankruptcy if Depp wins the case.
On lawyer Mark Breyer's Instagram, he asked his followers, "What happens if Johnny Depp wins this case for $50 million and Amber Heard doesn't have $50 million?"
@husbandandwifelawteam #stitch with @doctor.ryan #johnnydepp #deppvsheard #johnnydeppvsamberheard #amberheard ♬ Pavor [Hip Hop] - Instrumental - Cuarta Pared Studio
He reposted his question on his TikTok account and revealed that bankruptcy would be Heard's fate - and it will surely be now that Depp won the case.
"You can't get blood from a turnip. That's the reality. We don't have debtors in prison anymore. So what's going to happen is he [Depp] could go after all the money she had, she would probably file for bankruptcy, but certain things would be protected in bankruptcy. But the reality is that's the problem with laws where people aren't required to have insurance," he explained.
Meanwhile, Depp's fans and supporters assumed that Heard would never Depp. But if she does, the actor might donate the amount instead of as he filed the defamation lawsuit to clear his reputation rather than earn money.
For what it's worth, Heard only has a net worth of $8 million. Unfortunately, it is - indeed - not enough to cover what Judge Penney Azcarate urged her to pay.
As of the writing, it remains unknown how the actress would settle the amount.