She added that she still plans to honor the pledge, according to Guthrie in Wednesday’s aired segment.
Heard’s statement came after Guthrie asked, “You had promised to donate the $7 million of your divorce settlement to charity. It was revealed at trialthat you haven’t done so yet[but] they played a tape where you [said you had]. Do you think that raised questions as to your credibility with the jury?”
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“When you said ‘I donated,’ you know that everybody thinks you’ve donated it, not that you’ve pledged it,” pressed the journalist, 50. “So for the jurors sitting there,do you think they felt likethat was you getting caught in a lie?”
Amber Heard.TODAY/NBC
“I don’t know, because I feel like so much of the trial was meant to cast dispersions on who I am as a human, my credibility, to call me a liar in every way you can,” Heard said.
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“I would love him to stop suing me so I can,” she said during her testimony of making good on the the promised charitable payments.
Depp, 59, and Heard reached a$7 milliondivorcesettlement in August 2016. That same month, theMachete Killsactress said the entire sum was “being donated,” adding, “This is over and above any funds that I have given away in the past and will continue to give away in the future.”
Heard added in her statementthat the donation would bedivided amongst a number of charities but with “a particular focus to stop violence against women” as well as the Children’s Hospital of Los Angeles, where Heard had worked as a volunteer over the previous 10 years.
“I know these organizations will put the funds to good use and look forward to continuing to support them in the future. Hopefully, this experience results in a positive change in the lives of people who need it the most,” the actress concluded in her statement.
Terence Dougherty, chief operating officer of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU),testified in a pre-recorded depositionplayed in court in April during Heard’s defamation trial with Depp that the actress had promised to donate half of her settlement to the ACLU, with the rest of the sum going to Children’s Hospital Los Angeles.
By the time of the deposition’s recording in December 2021, the ACLU (which is a nonprofit dedicated to defending individuals' rights and liberties) had only received $1.3 million in her name, he said.
RELATED VIDEO: Johnny Depp v. Amber Heard: Biggest Bombshells and Revelations from the Trial’s Ending Moments
Earlier this month, thePirates of the Caribbeanactorwon all three defamation claimsin the case he brought against his ex-wife over her 2018 op-ed about coming forward with domestic-abuse allegations. The jury awarded Depp $15 million in damages but theAquaman 2actress will only have to pay $10.35 million due to a Virginia law capping punitive damages (the judge reduced the amount).
Depp, meanwhile, was found to have defamed his ex-wife on one of three claims in her countersuit. She was awarded $2 million in damages.
Heard’s lawyer Elaine Bredehoft spoke with Guthrie on the June 2 episode of theTodayshow and, when asked whether her clientwould be able to paythe amount, said, “Oh,no, absolutely not.” In the same conversation, Bredehoft added that Heard “absolutely"plans to appeal the verdict.
Six days later, Depp’s lawyers Camille Vasquez and Benjamin Chew appeared onGood Morning America, where Chew toldGeorge Stephanopoulosthat his client was only interested in “restoring his reputation” during the trial.
“You all have said the goal is not to impoverish Ms. Heard. Is it possible we could see a settlementwhere she forgoes the appeal, in return for Mr. Depp waiving any monetary damages?” asked Stephanopoulos, 61.
“We obviously can’t disclose any attorney-client communications, but as Mr. Depp testified and as we both made clear in our respective closings,this was never about money for Mr. Depp,” Chew responded. “This was about restoring his reputation, and he’s done that.”
For more from Heard’s interview with Guthrie, viewers can stream part of the special edition ofDatelineThursday on Peacock, ahead of it airing Friday at 8 p.m. ET on NBC. The interview will then be available onToday’s website, and the fullDatelineepisode will be shared on Peacock.
source: people.com
