Amber Heard is suing the insurance company associated with her million-dollar policy, claiming they must cover her $8.3 million debt against her ex-husband Johnny Depp.
The 36-year-old actress was ordered to pay the amount following the lawsuit brought against her by Depp for a 2018 op-ed she penned for The Washington Post. In her piece, she described her experiences as a survivor of domestic abuse, which her ex-husband's lawyers argued falsely painted him as an abuser.
In June this year, the jury ruled in Depp's favor. As a result, she was ordered to pay $8.3 million to him after they found that Heard defamed the 59-year-old.
Per The Daily Mail, it was revealed that the actress had taken a $1 million liability policy - with insurance company New York Marine and General Insurance Co. - that would protect her from defamation claims. However, the company has now claimed that she is no longer covered by the policy after she was found to have engaged in wilful misconduct. Under California law, they are not legally required to fulfill the policy.
TMZ obtained court documents that show Heard is arguing the opposite, and that her policy with the company was "unconditional," therefore meaning they are bound to cover her. The Aquaman actress has stated that New York Marine and General Insurance Co's decision to back away from their deal constitutes a breach of contract.
According to the outlet, the company is just one of two insurance firms that Heard is involved in legal disputes with.
In fact, the actress had taken out an insurance policy with another company called Travelers Commercial Insurance Company, that covered libel claims of up to $500,000, while the claim with New York Marine was at $1 million.
In July 2021, Travelers sued New York Marine, asking for reimbursement for half of what is spent defending Heard. They believed that Heard was able to choose her own lawyers, however, New York Marine wanted to use cheaper attorneys.
Travelers has asked New York Marine to pay up $621,693 because they believe their lawyers were kept in the dark about certain legal proceedings, while New York Marine's attorneys "piggy-backed" off Travelers' attorneys.
As a result, New York Marine decided to sue Heard to avoid paying up, citing a California law that prohibits insurers from covering claims involving "wilful acts," Joe detailed.
It's evident that Heard's legal woes are far from over following the intense public scrutiny she faced during her highly-publicized defamation lawsuit against Depp this year.
That blockbuster trial brought to light significantly disturbing allegations of drug and alcohol abuse from both sides, with Depp's team even showing the jury images of his bloodied finger after Heard had allegedly thrown a glass vodka bottle at him. Heard also claimed that she'd been physically and sexually assaulted by her then-husband.