Amber Heard says that her insurance company must cover the $8.3 million she owes Johnny Depp after being found liable in a defamation suit.
Heard, 36 took out a one million liability policy to protect her from defamation claims but the insurer is now saying that she committed willful misconduct in her claims and because of that they don’t have to fulfill the policy under California law.
The insurance company told the court that the jury in the high-profile case found Heard guilty of misconduct in her claims about Depp and therefore they were exempted from paying.
Insurance company to pay up
Heard is now arguing that there was an unconditional deal and the insurance company must pay her defence and judgement cost for up to a million dollars.
Depp was awarded $10 to $15 million in compensatory damages and $5 million in punitive damages. The judge later capped the damages leaving Depp with a total of $8.3 million.
Heard won a countersuit claim against Depp and was awarded $2 million in compensatory damages out of $100 million. Depp has appealed this decision and stated that he has no intention of paying this amount as the court ruling was ‘erroneous’.
In her lawsuit against her insurance company Heard said the New York Marine and General Insurance Co. was trying to turn their back on the agreement, saying that it was a breach of contract.
New York Marine said their attorneys were kept out of the trial and because of that they now want $621,693 paid back in exchange for their contribution to Heard’s defense fund because their lawyers were kept out of various legal proceedings.
The insurers are in turn suing Heard to avoid contributing to the libel settlement using a California law preventing insurers from covering ‘willful acts’.
Heard has now hired another attorney, Kirk Pasich to sort out the whole matter for her.
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