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Johnny Depp has lost his libel suit against The Sun editors for an article calling him a “wife beater.”
Three months after the three-week high-profile trial, Judge Nicol now ruled that the tabloid was justified in reporting that Depp he was violent with his ex-wife Amber heard on at least one occasion during your relationship.
The newspaper ran a column titled “Gone Potty: How can JK Rowling be ‘genuinely happy’ casting Johnny Depp in the new Fantastic Animals movie?” in April 2018, written by its executive editor Dan Wootton.
Amber Heard was The Sun’s star witness, attending court every day.
The three-week High Court trial attracted worldwide attention
In his ruling, the judge said that while Depp “proved the necessary elements of their defamation cause of action,” News Group Newspapers (NGN) demonstrated that what they published “in the sense that I have held that the words they express were substantially true. “.
Following the judge’s ruling, a spokesperson for The Sun said: “The Sun has stood up and campaigned for victims of domestic abuse for over 20 years. Victims of domestic abuse should never be silenced and we thank the judge for his careful consideration and I thank Amber Heard for her courage in testifying in court. “
Depp has always vigorously denied claims that he was violent towards Heard in any way.
UK law means that the Hollywood star had to show that he had suffered “serious damage” to his reputation through the publication of the article, while the publisher of The Sun News Group Newspapers (NGN) had to show that what they reported was true on the balance of probabilities.
Depp’s attorneys had argued that several factors, including his presentation in the article alongside the disgraced producer Harvey weinstein – meant that “only a very important prize” would compensate and claim it.
In practice, there is a limit of £ 325,000 ($ 415,000) in general damages, however additional compensation for “aggravating” factors can be added.
One of those factors cited by Depp’s team was the fact that The Sun retained the article on its website at all times.
NGN had relied on 14 separate allegations of domestic violence, dated between early 2013 and May 2016, in its defense of Depp’s complaint.
These accounts were reviewed in court in forensic detail, with Heard as the newspaper’s star witness.
The alleged incidents included a private flight from Boston to Los Angeles, during which Depp was said to have slapped and kicked Heard before passing out in the bathroom; a so-called “disco bloodbath” fight, and what Heard claimed was a “three-day hostage situation” in Australia.
Depp was transferred to an Australian hospital in March 2015 with an amputated finger.
The actor scribbled graffiti on a mirror with his blood and paint.
Depp’s team had countered the claims, claiming that Heard was in fact violent towards him, playing back recordings in which she could be heard saying that she had “hit” the 57-year-old actor.
One particularly contentious issue was the cut off of the tip of Depp’s middle finger during the trip to Australia: he claimed this happened when Heard threw a bottle of vodka at him, she said he injured himself while breaking a phone.
However, they both agreed that after the argument, Depp dipped his injured finger in paint and scribbled graffiti on mirrors and walls of the house.
The three-week High Court trial attracted worldwide attention, with both Depp and Heard temporarily moving from their respective homes in France and the United States to attend court in central London.
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During the hearing, the court was informed about Depp’s extensive use of drinks and drugs, read texts in which he called his ex-wife a “witch” and suggested burning her, and showed videos of him beating and beating the wardrobes of the kitchen.
The evidence provided was not only damaging to Depp: the actor claimed that Heard, 34, had “extramarital affairs” with high-profile figures like SpaceX CEO Elon Musk and actor James Franco. Heard denied having affairs while in the relationship.
Unreleased reality television images of Heard’s sister Whitney being questioned about a historic “altercation” with her older brother were also screened in court, and Depp’s team alleged that Heard had changed key dates in his evidence in a He attempted to manipulate the case, frequently accusing her of “making things up as he went along.”
As the trial drew to a close, Heard stood outside on the steps of the High Court and said that he was standing firm on his evidence and would “put his faith in British justice.”
Heard and James Franco pictured on the New York red carpet in 2015
Depp and Heard met on the set of the 2011 comedy The Rum Diary and were married in February 2015.
In May 2016, Heard obtained a restraining order against the star after accusing him of abuse, which he denied.
They settled their divorce out of court in 2017, and Heard donated his $ 7 million (£ 5.5 million) settlement to charity.
