Johnny Depp Loses Libel Case
The actor Johnny Depp, known for his roles in Pirates of the Caribbean, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, and many more of his iconic films, lost his libel action in the London Courts against The Sun, a tabloid newspaper published in the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland, that described Depp as a “wife beater”.
The court dismissed his claim for compensation. In the 129 paged ruling, Justice Nicol, said: “The claimant [Depp] has not succeeded in his action for libel … The defendants [the Sun and News Group Newspapers] have shown that what they published in the meaning which I have held the words to bear was substantially true. I have found that the great majority of alleged assaults of Ms. Heard by Mr. Depp have been proved to the civil standard.”
The judge also accepted the evidence brought forth by Amber Heard. He accepted that the allegations she made against Depp, “...have had a negative effect on her career as an actor and activist”. Mr. Justice Nicol concluded he found 12 of the 14 allegations to be proved. He also dismissed Depp’s description of Amber Heard as a “gold digger”. Justice Nicol said, “I do not accept this characterisation of Ms. Heard.”
The decision was long awaited after the courts finished the hearing in July. Depp sued the Sun’s publisher, News Group Newspapers (NGN), and its executive editor, Dan Wootton, over an article published in The Sun, with the headline “Gone Potty: How can JK Rowling be ‘genuinely happy’ casting wife beater Johnny Depp in the new Fantastic Beasts film?”
After the ruling, the publisher stated, “The Sun has stood up and campaigned for the victims of domestic abuse for over 20 years. Domestic abuse victims must never be silenced, and we thank the judge for his careful consideration and thank Amber Heard for her courage in giving evidence to the court.”
Jenny Afia, who represented Depp said, “This decision is as perverse as it is bewildering. Most troubling is the judge’s reliance on the testimony of Amber Heard, and corresponding disregard of the mountain of counter-evidence from police officers, medical practitioners, her own former assistant, other unchallenged witnesses and an array of documentary evidence which completely undermined the allegations, point by point. All of this was overlooked. The judgment is so flawed that it would be ridiculous for Mr. Depp not to appeal this decision.” She hinted that Depp may appeal the decision.
The Sun published an article after the verdict was released, saying that, “In a stunning victory for press freedom, London’s High Court ruled we were right to brand the Pirates of the Caribbean actor a ‘wife beater’ for his brutal attacks on his ex.”
Amber Heard’s lawyer, Elaine Charlson Bredehoft said: “Very soon, we will be presenting even more voluminous evidence in the US. We are committed to obtaining justice for Amber Heard in the US court and defending Ms. Heard's right to free speech."