GoFundMe Shuts Down $1 Million Amber Heard Fundraiser Set Up To Help Pay Johnny Depp
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GoFundMe has shut down a fundraiser claiming to raise money to help Amber Heard pay Johnny Depp some of the money she owes him following their defamation trial.
A jury in Fairfax, Virginia, determined this week Depp should receive more than $10 million (£8m) in damages after Heard wrote an op-ed in which she described herself as a victim of abuse.
Heard herself was awarded $2m (£1.6m) in damages for comments made by Depp's former lawyer, meaning in total she owes her ex-husband $8.35m (£6.68m). In the wake of the result, a fundraiser titled 'Justice for Amber Heard' was established on GoFundMe.
With a goal of $1m (£800,000), the GoFundMe page claimed to want to 'help' Heard and said the Aquaman actor would have 'direct access' to the money raised by supporters.
The page's description explained: "I believe Amber, and social media protected the abuser. The judgment exceeds her net worth. It's so sad that he was able to get away with the abuse. The judgment furthers that abuse. If you can please help her. She will have direct access to the money. I also contacted her attorney so they can loop her in."
It's unclear exactly how long the fundraiser was live for, but it was shut down after GoFundMe determined neither Heard nor anyone on her team had created the page.
A spokesperson for the fundraising site told TMZ they were able to flag the profile before a substantial amount of money was raised. The platform also plans to continue to look for fake pages and act accordingly.
Heard's attorney, Elaine Bredehoft, claimed Heard would 'absolutely not' be able to afford the cost of the damages when speaking to Today following the verdict.
The lawyer alleged Heard had been 'demonised' throughout the trial, and claimed: "A number of things were allowed in this court that should not have been allowed, and it caused the jury to be confused."
Bredehoft confirmed Heard's plans to appeal the jury's decision, saying the actor has 'excellent grounds' on which to do so.
Heard herself has made clear she is disappointed with the verdict, saying in a statement following the result that it indicated a set back in the idea 'that violence against women should be taken seriously'.
"I'm sad I lost this case. But I am sadder still that I seemed to have lost a right I thought I had as an American – to speak freely and openly," she added.
Featured Image Credit: Alamy/GoFundMe
Topics: Money, Amber Heard, Johnny Depp, US News, Celebrity
