Johnny Depp files appeal challenging $2 million damages awarded to ex-wife Amber Heard in defamation trial verdict

Actor Johnny Depp has appealed the $2m defamation award that the Virginia jury handed to his ex-wife Amber Heard at their trial in June. This news comes just a day after Amber Heard gave formal notice of intent to appeal the verdict in Johnny's defamation trial against her. In 2018, Johnny sued Amber Heard for defaming him and for calling herself a victim of domestic abuse in a Washington Post op-ed. He won the case last month. Also Read: Amber Heard to pay Johnny Depp $10.35m, he needs to give her $2m post defamation trial

According to Deadline, in the paperwork filed in Fairfax County, Johnny Depp has appealed the $2 million defamation award, that the jury in Virginia handed to his ex-wife Amber Heard at their trial last month. "Plaintiff and Counterclaim-Defendant John C. Depp, II, by counsel, hereby appeals to the Court of Appeals of Virginia from all adverse rulings and from the final judgment order of this Circuit Court entered on June 24, 2022," said the four-page notice of appeal.

Johnny's appeal comes as a response to Amber's appeal of July 21 as it is an effort to try to claw back the $2 million award that the Virginia jury gave Amber in her $100 million countersuit against Johnny and his 2019 $50 million complaint, as per Deadline.

Amber's lawyers had announced they would appeal immediately after the jury found on June 1 that she had defamed Johnny by publishing an op-ed in the Washington Post in which she described herself as a "public figure representing domestic abuse."

Days after the verdict was announced in the Johnny Depp-Amber Heard defamation trial, the written order for Amber to pay Johnny $10.35 million was passed. She has been held accountable for damaging Johnny's reputation by describing herself as a domestic abuse victim in an op-ed piece she wrote in December 2018. Amber had expressed her inability to pay the damages

(With inputs from ANI)