Amber Heard Might Not Be Broke, Has a Negative Net Worth

Times must be tough for actress Amber Heard, who was seen shopping at the discount retailer T.J. Maxx over the weekend, the New York Post reports. Heard was recently court-ordered to pay her ex-husband Johnny Depp about $8.4 million in damages for defamation. Is Heard broke?

It’s hard to say if the Aquaman actress is broke, but her net worth is well below what she owes Depp. According to Celebrity Net Worth, Heard’s net worth is now in the negative numbers. Before the court verdict, her estimated net worth was between $1.5 million and $2.5 million. Now, Heard’s net worth sits at -$6 million, reports Celebrity Net Worth.

Depp sued Heard for $50 million for defaming him and hurting his career when she wrote a 2018 Washington Post op-ed piece claiming she was a victim of domestic violence. Heard filed a $100 million defamation countersuit against Depp.

Although Depp wasn’t mentioned by name in the article, a jury awarded him $10.35 million in his defamation lawsuit against Heard. Heard also won a $2 million judgment in her countersuit, so after both verdicts, she still owes Depp about $8.4 million.

Heard’s biggest claim to fame is her appearance opposite Jason Momoa in the movie Aquaman. Heard reportedly earned $1 million for the film. She was also paid $2 million for a second Aquaman movie, which will be released in early 2023, and could receive as much as $4 million if there's a third movie.

Between 2013 and 2019, Heard earned a total of $10 million, reports Celebrity Net Worth. Her earnings include $1.8 million from her role in the television series The Stand and $1.625 million from a contract with L’Oreal.

Heard added about $7 million to her net worth from the 2016 divorce settlement with Depp. After the divorce, she said she would donate the settlement money to the American Civil Liberties Union and the Children’s Hospital of Los Angeles, but she never followed through on that promise.

After the Depp vs. Heard trial verdict, sources told the New York Post that Heard was “broke” due to her legal fees from the trial. When asked if Heard would pay the judgment to Depp, her attorney Elaine Bredehoft told the NBC’s Today, “Oh, no, absolutely not.”

Heard is relying on her homeowner’s policy to cover her legal fees, reports the New York Post. Most homeowner’s insurance policies provide coverage for claims of defamation. The insurer typically covers attorneys’ fees and expenses, but not necessarily the judgment costs.

“It’s a little oddity that most people don’t know. In most homeowner insurance policies, there is coverage if you are sued for defamation based on how much you pay through coverage,” Pennsylvania trial attorney Heather Heidelbaugh told the New York Post.

According to the Journal of Business & Intellectual Property Law, Bill Cosby, O.J. Simpson, and Bill Clinton have all used homeowner's insurance policy coverage for lawsuits.

On Dec. 19, Heard made the decision to settle Johnny Depp's case against her. NPR reported the actress said. "I make this decision having lost faith in the American legal system, where my unprotected testimony served as entertainment and social media fodder."