Right, what exactly will happen if Amber Heard can’t pay Johnny Depp?

Multiple sources have stated Amber Heard will be unable to pay her hefty legal bills.

This all started when Heard wrote an op-ed in the Washington Post calling herself a “public figure representing domestic abuse.” She didn’t mention Johnny Depp by name in the piece – but he decided to blame it for his waning career and loss of roles.

After six gruelling weeks at Fairfax County Court, Virginia, a jury found Heard guilty of defamation on 1st June. She’s been ordered to pay her ex-husband around £7.9 million in damages. Bearing in mind she was only paid £800,000 for Aquaman, it’s looking unlikely she’ll be able to fork out that amount.

So – what will happen if Amber Heard can’t pay Johnny Depp? These are her options at the moment:

Her home insurance policy could cover it

Photo by EVELYN HOCKSTEIN/AP/Shutterstock

According to StyleCast, Heard is currently paying her lawyers’ legal fees with her home insurance. This is a valid option in both the US and the UK – but it’s unlikely her provider will be able to cover the full amount of £8 million.

All her future wages get paid to Johnny Depp – and he *could* seize her home

If her home insurance refuses to help out with the money, Johnny Depp could receive payment straight from Heard’s upcoming roles. He could either take a chunk from her earnings or “garnish” her salary – meaning Heard’s employers can withhold her wages until her debts are paid.

It’s possible Depp could issue Heard with a court summons – in which she’ll have to be transparent about her assets in order for debt collectors to seize and auction them off.

Heard may need to file for bankruptcy

Photo by Uncredited/AP/Shutterstock

In order to protect the things she owns, Heard could file for bankruptcy. This means all non-essential assets (like excess income and property) can be used to pay people owed. This often lasts for a year, and by the end of the year, debts are usually paid off or cancelled.

Fans are trying to help in any way they can

Supporters of Amber Heard have set up GoFundMe pages to try and help the actress out. Most recently, a fundraiser was shut down by the company yesterday (5th June) after an account owner tried to raise $1 million for Heard.

It told Buzzfeed: “Our top priority is to keep our community safe and protect the generosity of our donors. GoFundMe will remove any fundraisers unless there’s a direct connection and the fundraiser has been authorized by the recipient of the funds.”

GoFundMe did not immediately respond to questions surrounding how many pages have been shut down.

Related stories recommended by this writer:

• ‘Naive and disrespectful’: Sam Fender apologises for hanging out with Johnny Depp
• All the celebrities who have reacted to the Johnny Depp verdict – so far
• Johnny Depp WINS the defamation case – but what happens next?

Featured image via Shutterstock.