Amber Heard, Johnny Depp settle legal dispute

AFP

The long running legal dispute between Amber Heard and Johnny Depp has finally come to an end with the former agreeing to pay $1 million as settlement.

Amber Heard was originally ordered to pay $8.35 million by a court in Virginia but she had contested the order. This amount is a significant reduction and will be paid by her insurer.

Depp's attorneys have said the money will be donated to charity and that for the actor it was "never about money".

Amber, meanwhile, released a statement saying she had lost faith in the U.S. judicial statement. She also said that the settlement spares her the ordeal of further litigation and allows her to finally “emancipate” herself from their marriage.

“It’s important for me to say that I never chose this. I defended my truth and in doing so my life as I knew it was destroyed. The vilification I have faced on social media is an amplified version of the ways in which women are re-victimised when they come forward,” Heard wrote

"I have made no admission. This is not an act of concession. There are no restrictions or gags with respect to my voice moving forward," she added.

Depp's attorneys said they are, "pleased to formally close the door on this painful chapter for Mr. Depp, who made clear throughout this process his intent to bring the truth to light.

"This was never about the money," the statement continued. "The jury’s unanimous decision and the judgment in his favor against Ms. Heard remain fully in place, and the payment of $1M reinforces her acknowledgment of the legal system’s rigorous pursuit for justice."

Contradicting Heard's statement on her being free to make public comments in the future, Depp's lawyers said the judgment can still be used against her if she were to make false or defamatory allegations in the future.

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