Elaine Bredehoft, Heard’s lead attorney, confirmed Heard’s lack of funds on NBC’s Today Show the morning after the verdict. When asked by host Savannah Guthrie whether Heard would be able to pay the penalties, Bredehoft straightforwardly replied, “Oh no, absolutely not.” This suggests that Heard’s current wealth, including her recent earnings from Aquaman and The Lost Kingdom, will not be enough to cover the damages. According to Bredehoft, Heard plans to appeal the verdict in hopes of getting a more agreeable decision and lowering the payment amount.
RELATED: Amber Heard’s Potential Aquaman 3 Pay Increase Revealed At Johnny Depp Trial
Bredehoft’s response has since raised questions about Heard’s net worth. Some sources list it at only $1.5 million, and such a number already takes into consideration the estimated wages she received from past film and television projects that she worked on. Even her personal profits from appearing in the Aquaman franchise won’t cut it — Walter Hamada, the President of DC-based film production for Warner Bros., testified during the trial that Heard only made $1 million for the first Aquaman movie and $2 million for the second one.
Apparently, Warner Media exercised her option for the sequel without renegotiating the contract she originally signed. This occurred under Hamada’s watch after the company said it wanted to curb costly pay raises. During the trial, Heard’s legal team alleged that such a move not only deviated from what is standard operating procedure in the film business, but it also caused significant damage to Heard’s career.
Legal experts have predicted a couple of ways that Heard’s situation could play out. If it is true that she does not have enough money to pay the damages, she could agree to have her current and future wages garnished, as well as her assets (which includes a collection of high-end cars and a Mojave Desert property) seized by Depp. She also has the option to file for bankruptcy; though she may not be able to expunge the $10.4 million debt due to a law that says debts from causing “willful and malicious injury” to a person are not automatically non-dischargeable.
Aquaman and The Lost Kingdom is scheduled to premiere in U.S. theaters on May 17, 2022.
NEXT: Dakota Johnson’s Resurfaced Comments On Johnny Depp Raise More Suspicions Against Amber Heard
Source: TODAY
