Johnny Depp has lost his libel action against the publishers of the Sun newspaper.
The actor had sued after the British newspaper printed an article calling him a 'wife beater' something he's always denied.
This was one of the biggest libel trials in the 21st century and laid bare the chaotic lifestyle of Johnny Depp showing his personal battles with drugs and alcohol .
But the Hollywood actor said he wanted to clear his name against claims of domestic violence against his ex-wife actor Amber Heard during their marriage.
But he has lost.
A Hight Court Judge has found that what was in the article was "substantially true".
The Sun newspaper said in a statement domestic abuse victims must never be silenced.
They thanked Amber Heard for her courage in giving evidence to the court.
A lawyer for Ms Heard said the decision and judgement are not a surprise.
BREAKING: Actor Johnny Depp has lost his High Court case to sue the Sun for defamation, over an article which called him a ‘wife beater’ - something he denies.
Judge Andrew Nicol ruled the Sun have shown that “what they published in the meaning ... was substantially true.” @LBC pic.twitter.com/tQZq84p85G
— Rachael Venables (@rachaelvenables) November 2, 2020
Questions Over Depp's US Libel Case Arise
Her legal team said they will be "presenting even more voluminous evidence in the US" where Depp has a libel action against the actress.
But Richard Thompson from reputation managers, M and C Saatchi Talent group, thinks that's unlikely to go ahead now.
"You're just digging the hole ever so deeper and when you're in a hole, the best advise is to stop digging," he said.
Here’s a statement from Elaine Charlson Bredehoft, U.S. counsel for Amber Heard:
“For those of us present for the London High Court trial, this decision and Judgment are not a surprise…."
— Nick Wallis (@nickwallis) November 2, 2020
Sky News Correspondent Enda Brady says the court case was sensational.
"There was extraordinairy detail.
"Shocking detail about his drug use and his consumption of alcohol."
Mr Brady noted that "pretty much all" of the money Mr Depp earned from Pirates of the Caribbean franchise has "vanished".
He said this was due to financial mismanagement.
Despite the revelations, Elizabeth Nolan Brown, from the American magazine Reason, says Depp has had a lot of support throughout.
"He's been a bigger celebrity and he's been the celebrity longer [than Amber Heard]."
"People have a lot of attachment to him and people don't want to believe anything bad about him."
She said the actor was "beloved".
