Johnny Depp Ordered to Pay $38,000 to ACLU After Winning Case Against Ex-wife Amber Heard

Johnny Depp Ordered to Pay $38,000 to ACLU After Winning Case Against Ex-wife Amber Heard
Actor Johnny Depp takes a break during his trial at the Fairfax County Courthouse, in Fairfax, Va., on May 25, 2022. (Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)
Benzinga
7/4/2022
Updated:
7/4/2022

Actor Johnny Depp won his defamation battle against his ex-wife Amber Heard last month, with the jury awarding him $10 million in compensatory damages and $5 million in punitive damages.

But now, Depp owes the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) $38,000 for the attorneys’ fees in complying with a subpoena for evidence he used in his defamation case.

Depp’s lawyers had subpoenaed documents from the ACLU to use for the case, demanding 1,900 documents of records spanning six years.

According to a report, the ACLU’s lawyer Stephanie Teplin argued that $86,253.26 was reasonable reimbursement for production costs and expenses.

However, Johnny’s lawyers called the ACLU’s demand “exorbitant and unreasonable.” The judge on Friday cut the demanded price and settled it for $38,000.

The Johnny Depp-Amber Heard case began on April 11 and was heard in Fairfax County, Virginia, because The Washington Post’s online edition servers are based in the county.

By Bibhu Pattnaik