Lawyer Reveals Amber Heard Cannot Pay $10.4 Million After Johnny Depp Verdict

Amber Heard's lawyer Elaine Bredehoft has broken her silence following the verdict.

Bredehoft revealed that Amber Heard cannot pay Johnny Depp the $10.4 million ($AUD 14.3 million, £8.2 million) in damages after the jury found that the Aquaman star had defamed her ex-husband in an op-ed written for  Washington Post.

Heard has been ordered to pay Depp $10 million ($AUD 13.7 million, £7.9 million) in compensatory damages and $5 million ($AUD 6.8 million, £3.9 million) in punitive damages, which Judge Penney Azcarate reduced to Virginia's cap of $350,000 ($AUD 481,000, £278,000) in accordance with the state’s statutory cap.

That brings the total Heard has to pay Depp to $10.35 million ($AUD 14.2 million, £8.2 million).

Depp has also been ordered to pay Heard $2 million. ($AUD 2.7 million, £1.5 million).

In a TV interview on TODAY, presenter Savannah asked Heard's lawyer if the star is able to pay the $10.4 million ($AUD 14.3 million, £8.2 million) payout.

"Oh no, absolutely not," Bredehoft replied.

Bredehoft added that the outcome is a major setback for victims of domestic violence.

"It's a horrible message... this is a setback," Bredehoft said.

"Unless you pull out your phone and videotape your spouse beating you, you won't be believed."

Heard's lawyer also revealed what the Aquaman star said following the verdict.

Bredehoft said: "One of the first things she said was: 'I am so sorry to all those women out there. This is a setback. She feels the burden of that'."

Despite losing the defamation suit against her ex-husband, Heard's lawyer revealed that they plan to appeal the decision.

"She has some excellent grounds for it," Bredehoft said.

"We even tried to get the UK judgment in to dismiss his [Depp's] case because he already had his shot, and that's one of the issues, but [there were] also a number of evidentiary issues."

She added: "There was so much evidence that did not come in."

So what if Heard can’t pay? Well, If she decided not to go ahead with an appeal, there is a risk the court could take part of her current and future wages.

Heard’s wages could be garnished, which means she would have to dedicate a portion of her paycheck to Depp until the sum is paid off.

Or Heard could file for bankruptcy, which would mean she wouldn't have to pay the $10 million figure.

The other outcome is that Depp might not demand Heard to pay in full, in an instagram comment the actor said the ‘goal of bringing this case was to reveal the truth, regardless of the outcome.’

It is unclear whether or not Depp will ask for the full sum of damages.