Johnny Depp loses libel case against The Sun over Amber Heard allegations

Hollywood actor Johnny Depp has lost his libel battle against The Sun newspaper in the UK following an article which labelled him as a "wife beater".

The 57-year-old, sued News Group Newspapers (NGN) - publishers of The Sun - and journalists Dan Wootton over a 2018 article stating he had been violent towards his ex-wife Amber Heard.

Over the course of three weeks at London’s Old Bailey in July, Mr Justice Andrew Nicol heard evidence from Depp and 34-year-old actor Heard about their tumultuous marriage, alleged affairs, his lifestyle and battle with drink and drugs, and their consistent arguments.

Both parties accused the other person in the relationship of violent outbursts and domestic abuse.

The actor, known for roles in films such as Pirates of the Caribbean and Edward Scissorhands, met Heard while filming The Rum Diary in 2011 and married four years later, but divorced in 2016.

Depp denied every being violent towards his ex-wife, before stating he had lost the tip of a finger after she threw a vodka bottle at him during one particular fight in Australia.

In his ruling on Monday, the judge dismissed Depp’s claim, saying The Sun had proved what was in the article to be “substantially true”.

“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 found.

“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.”

Depp would have been awarded a sum of between £300,000 and £325,000 if the article was found to be substantially untrue, while his lawyers argued he that he should receive aggravated damages.

According to Heard, Depp would turn into a monster after bingeing on drugs and alcohol, often threatening to kill her.

Following the result, a spokesperson for The Sun said:

“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.”

Depp's team put out a statement after the judge in the case ruled he had lost his High Court action.

"This decision is as perverse as it is bewildering," Jenny Afia, of Schillings law firm, commented.

"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," Afia added.

"All of this was overlooked. The judgment is so flawed that it would be ridiculous for Mr Depp not to appeal this decision."