Amber Heard's lawyer Elaine Bredehoft said that the actress cannot pay the $10.4 million she owes Johnny Depp.
The trial began in Fairfax, Virginia, in April. The 58-year-old Pirates of the Caribbean star was suing his former wife for $50 million over what he considered were defamatory statements in her 2018 op-ed published by The Washington Post.
In the piece, Heard referred to herself as "a public figure representing domestic abuse." Depp's lawyers said that the article defamed him and ruined his career and reputation - even though it never mentioned his name.
After six weeks, the long-running defamation trial concluded on Wednesday (June 1) after a Virginia jury sided with Depp and decided he is entitled to $10 million in compensatory damages and $5 million in punitive damages.
However, as Virginia state law caps punitive damages at $350,000, Depp will actually be awarded just $10.35 million in total.
Elaine Bredehoft appeared on the Today show and said that the Aquaman star was "demonized" by Depp's legal team during the case.
You can watch the clip below:When questioned over what kind of 'message' the verdict sends out, Bredehoft added: "It's a horrible message, it's a setback, a significant setback, because that's exactly what it means.”
Bredehoft cited Depp's loss in the libel case against British publication The Sun for its coverage of the couple, particularly for calling Depp a "wife-beater".
"And the court found there, and we weren't allowed to tell the jury this, but the court found that Mr. Depp had committed at least 12 acts of domestic violence, including sexual violence against Amber," Bredehoft told Today. "So what did Depp's team learn from this? Demonize Amber, and suppress the evidence."
"A number of things were allowed in this court that should not have been allowed, and it caused the jury to be confused," she continued. "And it caused the jury to be confused."
The lawyer also mentioned that Heard's legal team wasn't allowed to inform the jury about the "UK judgment," therefore "the damages is completely skewed, there are no damages."
The TODAY host mentioned the role social media played in the high-profile case and asked the lawyer if the jury could've been influenced by it. Bredehoft replied: "There's no way they couldn't have been influenced by social media. And it was horrible. It was lopsided."
When Guthrie asked if Heard would be able to pay the $10.4 million in damages, Bredehoft responded: "Oh, no, absolutely not."
Following the decision, Heard released a statement on social media and said she was "disappointed" at the outcome of the trial:
"I'm heartbroken that the mountain of evidence still was not enough to stand up to the disproportionate power, influence, and sway of my ex-husband," Heard said in a statement, adding, "I'm even more disappointed with what this verdict means for other women."
