Johnny Depp Loses Libel Case Against UK Tabloid Over 'Wife Beater' Allegation
Johnny Depp on Monday (November 2) lost the libel case, as Britain's High Court ruled against the actor in his case against The Sun's publisher, over 'Wife Beater' allegation
Johnny
Depp
on
Monday
(November
2)
lost
the
libel
case,
as
Britain's
High
Court
ruled
against
the
actor
in
his
case
against
The
Sun's
publisher,
News
Group
Newspapers
(NGN),
and
its
executive
editor,
Dan
Wootton.
In
the
an
article
published
in
2018,
Amber
Heard
had
claimed
that
Depp
hit
her
14
times
during
their
turbulent
relationship.
Justice
Andrew
Nicol
during
the
ruling
said
that
the
defendants
(tabloid)
had
proved
that
what
they
published
was
"substantially
true".
During
the
16-day
trial
at
the
London
High
Court,
Heard
and
Depp
gave
their
accounts
of
the
incident
accusing
each
other
of
abuse.
Much
details
of
their
lives
were
also
revealed
in
the
process,
with
Depp
admitting
taking
cocaine
and
drinking
more
than
"normal".
Heard
was
accused
of
defecating
in
their
bed
and
having
an
affair
with
billionaire
Elon
Musk,
which
she
denied.
The
Ruling
By
Britain
High
Court
"The
claimant
has
not
succeeded
in
his
action
for
libel.
Although
he
has
proved
the
necessary
elements
of
his
cause
of
action
in
libel,
the
defendants
have
shown
that
what
they
published
in
the
meaning
which
I
have
held
the
words
to
bear
was
substantially
true,"
the
judge
said
in
Monday's
ruling.
The
Judge
further
added,
"I
have
reached
these
conclusions
having
examined
in
detail
the
14
incidents
on
which
the
defendants
rely
as
well
as
the
overarching
considerations
which
the
claimant
submitted
I
should
take
into
account."
Amber
Heard's
Legal
Team
Also
Released
A
Statement
Heard's
legal
team
after
the
judgement
released
a
statement,
"For
those
of
us
present
for
the
London
High
Court
trial,
this
decision
and
Judgement
are
not
a
surprise.
Very
soon,
we
will
be
presenting
even
more
voluminous
evidence
in
the
U.S.
We
are
committed
to
obtaining
Justice
for
Amber
Heard
in
the
U.S.
Court
and
defending
Ms
Heard's
Right
to
Free
Speech."
Depp
Has
Filed
Another
Case
Against
Ex-wife
Amber
Heard
Notably,
Depp
and
Heard
met
on
the
sets
of
The
Rum
Diary
in
2009
and
got
married
in
February
2015.
Depp
filed
for
divorce
in
May
2016.
Meanwhile,
Johnny
Depp
is
also
suing
Heard
for
$50
million
in
a
trial
set
to
take
place
in
the
US
next
year
for
an
article
she
wrote
in
Washington
Post,
about
being
a
domestic
abuse
survivor.
Reportedly,
his
ex-wife
Heard
is
also
counter-suing
him
for
$100
million,
claiming
that
Depp
has
started
a
global
campaign
against
her.