On Monday, November 2, the London Supreme Court ruled in the case of actor Johnny Depp versus the publisher of The Sun - News Group Newspapers - and the executive editor of the tabloid Dan Wootton.

Depp was denied a libel suit.

“The plaintiff failed to prove the fact of libel.

Although he presented the necessary grounds for a libel suit, the defendants demonstrated that what they published, in the sense in which I interpreted their words, was essentially true, "Judge Andrew Nichol ruled.

The conflict between Johnny Depp and The Sun began with the publication in the newspaper of information that the artist allegedly beat his ex-wife, actress Amber Heard.

The first hearings in the case were held on July 7, 2020.

Then Heard was a witness to The Sun.

Based on her testimony, the representatives of the publication insisted that in the material of 2018 they legitimately talked about the beatings.

  • Reuters

  • © Simon Dawson

As part of the process, 16 meetings were held.

During them, the former spouses reported a lot of unpleasant details about their life together.

So, Heard reported 14 incidents of violence.

Depp denied the words of the actress, and also accused her of similar behavior.

The arguments of the parties ended on July 29, but it took the court more than two months to make a decision.

“This was the main libel trial this year.

And, perhaps, in this decade.

The public got a rare opportunity to see the life of two Hollywood superstars from the inside, ”Alex McCready, head of the reputation and privacy department of the law firm Vardags, commented on the process in an interview with The Guardian.

According to The Guardian, it is possible that the losing actor will appeal.

A litigation is planned for 2021 with Johnny Depp and Amber Heard in person - this time over a column that the actress wrote for The Washington Post in 2018.

Heard talked about how she became a victim of violence, and then experienced public censure.

Although Depp is not mentioned in it, he considers this article defamatory and demands $ 50 million.

The hearing will be held in Virginia (USA).

Johnny Depp and Amber Heard met in 2009 on the set of The Rum Diary. 

Earlier, Depp lived for more than ten years in a de facto marriage with actress Vanessa Paradis, from whom he has a daughter, Lily-Rose, Melody, and a son, John "Jack" Christopher. 

Depp and Heard officially appeared as a couple in early 2014 at the Heaven Gala.

Soon it became known to the media that celebrities were engaged.

The artists got married in February 2015.

They denied rumors of a breakdown in the relationship and together survived legal troubles: the actress improperly formalized the importation of two Yorkshire terriers into Australia.

Family problems began in the spring of 2016.

In May, a friend of the couple, at Heard's request, called the rescue service to their home.

The actress said that Depp used physical violence against her.

According to media reports, when the police arrived at the scene, Amber Heard said that they only fought in words.

Also in the case file contains references to Heard about other episodes of domestic violence.

  • Reuters

  • © Simon Dawson

In May, Amber Heard filed for divorce.

A few days later it became known that Depp was forbidden to approach the actress at a distance of less than 30 meters. 

Depp was soon defended by Vanessa Paradis, his daughter Lily-Rose Melody and first wife, Laurie Ann Ellison. 

The divorce proceedings ended in August 2016.

Heard received $ 7 million, which she donated to the Los Angeles Children's Hospital and the American Civil Liberties Union.

At the same time, the actors released a joint statement, which said that in their marriage there was not even an intention to inflict physical or mental harm on the partner.

In the spring of 2019, Depp announced that he himself was a victim of violence.

He also claimed that the evidence against him was fabricated - in particular, Heard painted the marks of the beatings on her face. 

Later, information appeared in the press that Amber Heard herself beat her husband.

In 2015, Depp starred in another movie in the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise with a hand injury.

It is assumed that the actor got it in an argument with his wife.