A little earlier this year, Johnny Depp went to court in the U.K. for a high-profile libel case against News Group Newspapers, the publisher of The Sun, as part of the fallout from his split with Aquaman star Amber Heard. During the course of that, they both levelled shocking accusations against each other, but the gist was that Depp wanted damages for being branded a "wife-beater."
However, the judge has delivered his verdict, and dismissed the Fantastic Beasts star's case.
"The claimant has not succeeded in his action for libel," Andrew Nicol said in his judgement. "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." In other words, his opinion is that The Sun dubbing Depp a "wife-beater" was, in fact, accurate.
Among the allegations made by Heard about her ex-husband include him slapping her across the face. Depp has turned those claims back on her, however, arguing he was a victim of domestic abuse.
While a defamation case will take place in the U.S. next year, this is a huge blow to Depp, and could have an affect on his future with the already controversial Fantastic Beasts franchise. With Heard's claims justified in this way, those hoping she will be dumped from the Aquaman franchise are likely to be disappointed (she's currently in the process of working on reshoots for Zack Snyder's Justice League).
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