Amber Heard officially files to appeal verdict in Johnny Depp libel trial days after judge rejected request for new trial-Alicia Adejobi-Entertainment – Metro

Heard hopes to overturn the court’s decision (Picture: Getty, AP)

Amber Heard’s legal team has officially filed to appeal the verdict in her recent libel trial against ex-husband Johnny Depp.

Following a bombshell trial in the US, a jury found that the Aquaman actress did defame Depp with her 2018 op-ed for The Washington Post about her experience with domestic abuse.

Pirates of the Caribbean star Depp, 59, was awarded $15million in total, broken down as $10m in compensatory damages and $5m in punitive damages. However, this was capped at $350,000 per Virginia state law reducing the total to $8.35m.

Heard, 36, was awarded $2m in compensatory damages, despite her counter-suing Depp for $100m – he originally filed the lawsuit seeking $50m from his ex-wife.

It has now been confirmed that her legal team filed documents with the Fairfax County court on Thursday to appeal the verdict.

A spokesperson for Heard told Metro.co.uk: ‘We believe the court made errors that prevented a just and fair verdict consistent with the First Amendment.

Heard refuses to give up the legal fight (Picture: Getty / AP)

‘We are therefore appealing the verdict. While we realise today’s filing will ignite the Twitter bonfires, there are steps we need to take to ensure both fairness and justice.’

Depp’s spokesperson also said: ‘The jury listened to the extensive evidence presented during the six-week trial and came to a clear and unanimous verdict that the defendant herself defamed Mr Depp in multiple instances. We remain confident in our case and that this verdict will stand.’

It comes a week after all of Heard’s post-trial motions were dismissed by a judge.

Heard’s lawyers claimed that the verdict that she had defamed Depp was not supported by evidence, and that the wrong juror had been on the jury during the trial.

However, Judge Penny Azcarate said the juror issue was irrelevant and that Heard could not show she had been prejudiced.

A jury found that Heard did defame him with her article about her domestic abuse experience (Picture: AP)

The explosive trial between Heard and Depp kept the world gripped for six weeks (Picture: AP)

‘The juror was vetted, sat for the entire jury, deliberated, and reached a verdict,’ she said.

‘The only evidence before this court is that this juror and all jurors followed their oaths, the court’s instructions, and orders.

‘This court is bound by the competent decision of the jury.’

Depp’s legal team hit back in their own statement, which said according Deadline: ‘Following a six-week jury trial, a jury of Ms Heard’s peers rendered a verdict against her in virtually all respects.

‘Though understandably displeased with the outcome of trial, Ms Heard has identified no legitimate basis to set aside in any respect the jury’s decision.

‘Virginia law is clear that a verdict is not to be set aside unless it is “plainly wrong or without evidence to support it”.‘

It continued: ‘Here, the verdict was well-supported by the overwhelming evidence, consistent with the law, and should not be set aside.

‘Mr Depp respectfully submits that the court should deny Ms Heard’s Post-Trial Motions, which verge into the frivolous.’

Earlier this week, a study revealed how the cyberbullying against Heard during the trial was one of the worst cases.

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