Amber Heard loses bid to dismiss $10m Johnny Depp judgment

A judge on Wednesday rejected a request from the actor Amber Heard to set aside the $10m defamation judgment awarded against her in favor of her ex-husband, Johnny Depp.

Depp won a suit against Heard last month in a high-profile civil trial. Heard won a $2m judgment on a counter-claim against Depp.

Heard still has the ability to appeal the verdict to the Virginia court of appeals.

The article did not mention Depp but his lawyers said several passages defamed him by implication by referring to highly publicized abuse allegations she made in 2016 as she filed for divorce.

The jury awarded $15m to Depp and $2m to Heard. The $15m judgment was reduced to $10.35m because Virginia law caps punitive damages at $350,000.

Issues presented to the appellate court could be different from the issues Azacarate rejected on Wednesday.