Johnny Depp can’t handle the truth. The actor was denied an appeal in his U.K. libel case against The Sun publisher, News Group Newspapers, according to Deadline. Depp sought to overturn the 2020 ruling that the tabloid was accurate in calling him a “wife beater.” After a highly publicized three-week trial, the verdict asserted that the label was “substantially true” regarding his relationship with ex-wife Amber Heard. The ruling has now been upheld by the U.K. Court of Appeal, which said, “the appeal has no real prospect of success” and that “there is no other compelling reason for it to be heard.” Appeals Judges Lord Justice James Dingemans and Lord Justice Nicholas Underhill explained their decision in a 14-page document addressing Depp’s representation’s defense, including claims that Heard misled the original judge by saying she donated the $7 million divorce payout. Earlier this year, her lawyers told Deadline the donations had been “delayed” due to legal fees. During the appeal, they countered by saying the information had been available to Depp’s team before the original trial.
Following the outcome of the trial, the 57-year-old actor was dropped from Warner Bros.’ Fantastic Beasts franchise and replaced with Mads Mikkelsen. A spokesperson for Heard told Deadline that she was “pleased but by no means surprised” by the outcome of the appeal. “The evidence presented in the UK case was overwhelming and undeniable,” her representation added. “To reiterate, the original verdict was that Mr. Depp committed domestic violence against Amber on no fewer than 12 occasions and she was left in fear of her life.” The U.K. results come ahead of his $50 million defamation suit against Heard in the United States, set to begin on April 11, 2022. The actress herself is pursuing a $100 million countersuit.
