Johnny Depp has lost his much-publicized defamation case against the publisher of the British newspaper The Sun, whose claim that the actor was an abusive man, which caused a clash in the courtroom between the Hollywood star and his ex-wife his Amber Heard earlier this year.
Depp sued News Group Newspapers and Dan Wootton, executive editor of The Sun, for an article claiming the "Pirates Of the Caribbean" star was violent towards Heard while they were together.
The UK High Court ruled on Monday in favor of the publisher.
Citing evidence, including photographs, audio recordings and text messages of Depp himself, the newspaper's lawyers argued in court that Depp "beat his wife Amber Heard, causing her to suffer significant injuries, and in some cases scared the actress for her life. "
Judge Andrew Nicol said in his trial Monday that the newspaper's allegations had turned out to be true.
"I have reached these conclusions after examining in detail the 14 incidents on which the defendants rely," the judge said.
Depp had admitted to long-term drug and alcohol problems during the trial but said the allegations that he was violent against Heard were "completely untrue".
The legal confrontation sparked several days of tense testimony in July by Depp, Heard and some of their acquaintances.
During court hearings, Heard told the court that Depp threatened to kill him "many times."
"Johnny brought attention to me, in all its intensity and darkness, and it was different from anything that had ever happened to me in my life," she said in a written statement.
"Some incidents were so serious that I was afraid he would kill me, intentionally or just losing control and going too far. He clearly threatened to kill me many times, especially later in our relationship, said Heard before the court.
The Sun, which is owned by Rupert Murdoch's News Corp, said in a statement after the ruling:
"The Sun has risen and campaigned for victims of domestic abuse for over 20 years. Victims of domestic abuse should never be silent and we thank the judge for his careful consideration. We also thank Amber Heard for her courage in giving evidence in court. ”
Source: CNN
