Johnny Depp’s 2020 defamation case spilled the tea – Everything to know

It’s been two years since the article from The Sun accusing Johnny Depp of being a wife-beater came out. Johnny Depp sued The Sun for libel, and we’ve been getting different information ever since. Accusations had been thrown around for a while now, and it’s been kinda hard to keep up. Once we felt we knew something, the other party would throw new information in the mix.

Now the moment has come! We finally got a ruling and it’s. . . not that shocking. Here’s the tea about Johnny Depp’s libel claim and the outcome.

A little backstory

Amber Heard & Johnny Depp met while filming The Rum Diary back in 2009 and they started dating in 2012. Prior to that, Heard was dating Tasya van Ree, and Depp was in a long-term relationship with Vanessa Paradis. Both of them ended their relationships around the same time.

Later, in 2014, Heard was seen wearing an engagement ring, and the next year, she married Johnny Depp in a small ceremony. Up to that point, things were looking well for the couple. However, in 2016, Amber Heard filed for divorce which was finalized in 2017.

Amber Heard’s accusations

Amber Heard got a restraining order on May 23, 2016. She reported being abused by Johnny Depp on multiple occasions while he was under the influence of alcohol. Allegedly, Depp had thrown a cellphone at her which resulted in bruising on Heard’s face.

Johnny Depp denied the accusation and claimed Heard was only trying to get financial compensation. Eventually, Depp & Heard settled and Heard was awarded $7 million, which she then donated to charity. She had also asked for $50,000 of spousal support per month, which she later rescinded.

After the divorce, Heard wrote an op-ed in The Washington Post where she talked about her experience as a domestic abuse victim. Although she never mentioned Johnny Depp explicitly, he sued her for defamation, claiming the article was a part of a hoax to get favorable publicity for her.

Johnny Depp’s evidence

Up to that point, it seemed like Johnny Depp was the sole abuser in his & Heard’s marriage. However, things took a turn when phone recordings of Amber Heard emerged in January 2020. In them, Heard admitted to striking Johnny Depp during their marriage.

In the recordings, Depp stated “[. . .] And baby, I told you this once. I’m scared to death we are a f—ing crime scene right now,” to which Heard replied “I can’t promise you I won’t get physical again. God, If—ing sometimes get so mad I lose it.”

On July 7, Depp filed a libel suit against The Sun for being called a “wife-beater”. He also accused Heard of defecating in their bed, and having an affair with Elon Musk & James Franco – she denied both accusations.

Enter Mr. Justice

This week we finally got a ruling for Depp’s libel claims. Justice Andrew Nicol ruled that Johnny Depp had been violent against Amber Heard. The judge stated that he had “reached these conclusions having examined in detail the 14 incidents” and confirmed the veracity of twelve of them.

Furthermore, Amber Heard’s lawyer declared to the BBC: “For those of us present for the London High Court trial, this decision and judgment are not a surprise. Very soon, we will be presenting even more voluminous evidence in the U.S.” However, Depp’s lawyer decried the decision, claiming Justice Nichol overlooked evidence.

“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.”