Johnny Depp’s Lawyers Say Verdict Against Amber Heard ‘Was Never About the Money’

(Left) Actress Amber Heard arrives at the Fairfax County Circuit Courthouse in Fairfax, Va., on May 26, 2022. (Michael Reynolds/Pool/AFP via Getty Images); (Right) Actor Johnny Depp leaves the courtroom at the end of the day of his defamation trial against his ex-wife Amber Heard, at the Fairfax County Circuit Courthouse in Fairfax, Va., on May 25, 2022. Evelyn Hockstein/Pool/AFP via Getty Images

Lawyers for Johnny Depp signaled that the actor may not collect payment from ex-wife Amber Heard after a jury mostly sided with the “Pirates of the Caribbean” star in his defamation lawsuit against Heard.

“You all have said the goal is not to impoverish Ms. Heard. Is it possible we could see a settlement where she forgoes the appeal, in return for Mr. Depp waiving any monetary damages?” asked ABC host George Stephanopoulos.

“We obviously can’t disclose attorney-client communications, but as Mr. Depp testified … this was never about money for Mr. Depp,” one of Depp’s attorneys, Ben Chew, told “Good Morning America” in response.

“This was about restoring his reputation—and he’s done that,” Chew said, without elaborating more. “It was a total win for Johnny,” he added in the interview, which aired on Wednesday morning.

Depp, 58, won all three defamation claims in his case against Heard, 36, and was awarded $15 million by a Virginia jury. Heard was also awarded $2 million in damages against Depp in a countersuit.

Heard’s lawyer Elaine Bredehoft told the “Today” show last week that her client would “absolutely not” be able to pay the millions owed to debt.  The lawyer also said Heard is planning to appeal the verdict.

In response to the appeal, Chew said that it “was very disappointing to hear that, and to hear [Bredehoft] impugn the character of the jury ... the evidence came in that should come in, and the judge was very particular to both sides.”

A spokesperson for Heard issued a statement before Chew and fellow Depp lawyer Camille Vasquez appeared on the ABC program.

“It is as unseemly as it is unprofessional that Johnny Depp’s legal team has chosen to do a victory lap for setting back decades of how women can be treated in the courtroom. What’s next? A movie deal and merchandising?” the spokesperson told People magazine Wednesday.

After the verdict, Heard claimed that it “sets back the clock to a time when a woman who spoke up and spoke out could be publicly shamed and humiliated” and allegedly “sets back the idea that violence against women is to be taken seriously.”

“I believe Johnny’s attorneys succeeded in getting the jury to overlook the key issue of Freedom of Speech and ignore evidence that was so conclusive that we won in the U.K.,” Heard also remarked.

In another recent interview, Chew suggested that Depp’s defamation lawsuit was more about restoring his reputation after Heard made public accusations against him during their divorce in 2016 and alleged that he was abusive during their short marriage. Both Depp and Heard took the stand during the trial, which drew tens of millions of viewers via livestreams.

“Johnny owned his issues. He was very candid about his alcohol and drug issues. He was candid about some unfortunate texts that he wrote,” the attorney told NBC News. “And I think it was a sharp contrast to Ms. Heard who … didn’t take accountability for anything.”