Amber Heard is putting the past behind her for the moment.
The “Aquaman” star, 36, is “doing okay” after a Fairfax County, Virginia, jury ruled that she defamed ex-husband Johnny Depp in a 2018 Washington Post op-ed, but needs to focus her energies elsewhere, a source told People in this week’s issue.
“She feels drained and exhausted after the trial,” the insider told the outlet, adding Heard “is trying her best to have a positive outlook.”
Heard, 36, was sued by the “Pirates of the Caribbean” alum, 59, for $50 million in relation to the op-ed, in which she identified herself as a “public figure representing domestic abuse.” She countersued for $100 million over claims by Depp’s former lawyer that the allegations were a “hoax.”
The former couple’s allegations against one another — not just of defamation but verbal, emotional and physical abuse — were aired for the world in a six-week trial.
The jury on June 1 awarded Depp $15 million in compensatory and punitive damages, an amount lowered by the judge to $10.35 million. Heard was awarded $2 million in compensatory damages.
Though Heard’s legal team has vowed to appeal the verdict, the source told People she wants to put her mental energy elsewhere for now, like being “happy to spend every day with her baby girl,” referring to 14-month-old daughter Oonagh Paige.
“Amber is still disappointed about the jury’s verdict,” said the source. “She is still weighing her legal options, but right now, she needs some breathing room to just enjoy the summer.”
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