Johnny Depp was ‘willfully’ defamed, says Amber Heard’s insurance company as it refuses to cover her legal damages

Johnny Depp was ‘willfully’ and ‘maliciously’ defamed by his ex-wife Amber Heard, according to her insurance company, said a new report. Amber’s insurance company is reportedly refusing to pay for the damages the actor owes her ex-husband following their high-profile defamation trial. Amber was ordered to pay $10 million in compensatory damages and $5 million in punitive damages in a June 1 verdict in a US court. On the other hand, Johnny was ordered to pay Amber $2 million overall. Read more: Why Amber Heard’s legal team seeks fresh trial in Johnny Depp defamation case

According to the report, the insurance company is suing Amber Heard so that it can be absolved of any duty to pay for her defense in the recent defamation case against ex-husband Johnny. The report added that the US-based company is also suing Amber so that it does not have to pay any costs of ongoing litigation, if Amber makes any further appeals in court or be required to pay the damages, Amber was ordered to pay Johnny after the trial’s verdict was declared.

New York Marine and General Insurance Company filed the suit against Amber on Friday in the US District Court for the Central District of California, reported lawandcrime.com. The report added Amber had a $1 million liability policy with the company, with which she could have paid a portion of the damages she owes Johnny. However, the insurance company could refuse the payout, if Amber was found to have committed ‘willful’ and ‘malicious’ misconduct. Amber’s insurance coverage was from July 2018 to July 2019. During that time period, Amber wrote an op-ed in The Washington Post, in which she said she was ‘a public figure representing domestic abuse’.

In the suit it filed against Amber, New York Marine and General Insurance Company, reportedly said that California insurance law provides that although an insurance company may be liable for an insured party’s negligence, ‘an insurer is not liable for a loss caused by the willful act of the insured’. The company added that Amber was found to have acted with actual malice, in other words, willfully. Therefore, it should not have to compensate Amber.

Earlier, it was reported that Amber’s lawyers wanted a Virginia court to order a fresh trial in the defamation case against Johnny, as a wrong juror was seated in the jury during the trial. Johnny and Amber have both accused each other of domestic violence. After Johnny sued Amber for defamation because of her 2018 article, Amber countersued Johnny for $100 million in 2021.