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Johnny Depp Loses Court Case Over ‘Wife Beater’ Comments from Newspaper

In his latest high profile legal battle, Johnny Depp has lost against newspaper tabloid The Sun for describing him as a “wife beater”.

The prolific actor has another crippling legal loss today in London. Local – and prolific tabloid – The sun has proven victorious after Depp opened a libel case against them. The paper refers to Depp as a “wife beater” on several pages of the issues in question.

Of the decision, the British judge says he believes Depp was extensively abusive to ex-wife Amber Heard. In this, the descriptor The Sun uses is “justified” and the allegations are “substantially true”.

Rulings Against Depp Found To Be True

“I have found that the great majority of alleged assaults of Ms. Heard by Mr. Depp have been proven to the civil standard,” Judge Nicol writes in his verdict.

Press Herald describes the ongoing cases as “the biggest English libel trials of the 21st century”. Within, “Depp sued News Group Newspapers, publisher of The Sun, and its executive editor, Dan Wootton, over an April 2018 article that accused him of assaulting fellow actor Heard.”

“The ruling deals a big blow to Depp’s reputation that could imperil his career, which has seen the actor take the lead in some of the most popular family movies in recent times, from “Edward Scissorhands” to most lucratively the “Pirates of the Caribbean” franchise. That reputational cost clearly comes with an indeterminate financial cost on top of the several millions pounds in legal costs he will likely be required to pay following Monday’s ruling.”

Press Herald

Depp’s lawyers calls the decision “perverse as it is bewildering.” He continues to say “the judgment is so flawed that it would be ridiculous for Mr. Depp not to appeal this decision.”

Moreover, Amber Heard’s attorney says the verdict is “not a surprise”. The Sun, however, is hailing this as a “stunning victory for press freedom.”

Johnny Depp “Severely Damaged” By Allegations

The entire core of the court cases comes from 14 allegations of domestic abuse against Amber Heard. The incidents are global.

Heard says the abuse was a result of Depp’s “heavy drug and alcohol use and that he could turn into a self-created third party,” which he referred to as “The Monster.”

Judge Nicol states that “several times when Heard feared for her life”. This is including a “three-day hostage situation” in Australia in March of 2015.

“I accept her evidence of the nature of the assaults he committed against her,”Nicol writes. “They must have been terrifying.”

Depp, however, argues that these allegations cause “serious harm” hand have him “severely damaged” – as is his reputation. His legal team says the case was about “clearing his reputation”.

A representative for Depp claims “we hope that in contrast to this case, the ongoing libel proceedings in America are equitable, with both parties providing full disclosure rather than one side strategically cherry-picking what evidence can and cannot be relied upon.”

[H/T Press Herald]