Amber Heard officially files appeal in Johnny Depp defamation case

Amber Heard has officially filed to appeal the verdict in her recent defamation case against Johnny Depp.

Before a court in Fairfax, Virginia last month, a jury found the Aquaman actress liable for defaming her ex-husband in a 2018 Washington Post op-ed and he was awarded more than $10 million (£8 million) in damages. The jury also found the Edward Scissorhands actor liable for defaming Heard with one statement made by his former lawyer and she was awarded $2 million (£1.6 million).

Following the result, Heard's lawyers declared their intention to launch an appeal, and on Thursday, they submitted the necessary documents.

"We believe the court made errors that prevented a just and fair verdict consistent with the First Amendment. We are therefore appealing the verdict," they said in a statement obtained by TMZ. "While we realise today's filing will ignite the Twitter bonfires, there are steps we need to take to ensure both fairness and justice."

After the verdict, Heard's lawyers requested a mistrial due to "newly discovered facts and information" about one juror. However, Judge Penney Azcarate rejected the claim that one of the jurors was not properly assessed prior to the trial.

Following the news of the appeal, Depp's lawyers told TMZ they remain "confident" in the case.

"The jury listened to the extensive evidence presented during the six-week trial and came to a clear and unanimous verdict that the defendant herself defamed Mr. Depp in multiple instances. We remain confident in our case and that this verdict will stand," they commented.

Depp and Heard were married between 2015 and 2016.