Amber Heard has hired another lawyer in hopes of forcing two insurance companies to pay her ex-husband Johnny Depp $10 million in damages after her sensational case earlier this year. Heard was ordered to pay Depp sums for defamation, but she is appealing the lawsuit while seeking methods to cover the payment during the appeals process. Her legal team in this prosecution has expanded this week, according to a news report from The Daily Mail.
Heard is being represented by attorneys David L. Famed attorney Gloria Allred is representing Axelrod and Jay Ward Brown in Depp’s lawsuit against her.
She has also hired attorney Kirk Pasich, although he won’t be working closely with the other two.
Instead of Pasich, Heard will try to get as much help from insurance companies as possible. Her legal fees, which are sure to exceed $15 million, as well as her $10 million in damages to Depp are all included in the amount.
Pasich will correspond directly with Travelers Commercial Insurance Company and New York Marine General Insurance Company.
Heard reportedly had a special homeowners insurance policy with Travelers that covered “defamation” up to half a million dollars, while she had a $1 million general liability policy with New York Marine. However, the two companies also exchange legal complaints with each other. New York Marine claims that their policies allowed Heard to use local attorneys for a small fee, while Travelers’ allowed her to choose any attorney she wanted — a huge financial discrepancy.
Both Depp and Heard allege that the two firms are in dispute over which attorneys were required for the legal team and, therefore, who should pay their fees. At the same time, both companies claim that they are not responsible for any contribution to Heard’s damages payment to Depp. The lawsuit was filed in Virginia, but the allegations appear to be based on a California law that exempts insurers from providing coverage for “willful acts.”
The legal drama has more twists and turns as Depp has appealed the matter. His legal team contends that he should not be held liable for damages to Heard in their defamation lawsuit. It’s uncertain if the former couple will be back in court together anytime soon.
Timothy is a senior writer based in Atlanta specializing in celebrity-related news. She’s always ready to cover trending TV stories with an unbiased perspective and a pinch of gossip.
