The 'Fantastic Beasts' actor hands out thank-you gifts to fans waiting outside a London court on the last day of his libel trial against British media.
- July 29, 2020
AceShowbiz - Johnny Depp handed gifts and notes to fans who supported him outside court on Tuesday (28Jul20) as his ongoing libel trial entered its final day.
Depp is suing U.K. tabloid The Sun, its publisher News Group Newspapers (NGN), and its executive editor Dan Wootton over a 2018 story that branded him a "wife beater" in relation to allegations Amber Heard made against her ex-husband, which he denies, after they split in May 2016.
As the "Pirates of the Caribbean" star arrived at London's High Court for the final day of the trial, the actor handed out brown envelopes to fans outside the courthouse, containing a handwritten note thanking them for their support as well as a black and white bandana.
Inside the courtroom, Depp's lawyer David Sherborne repeated the star's claims that he was completely innocent of the "reputation-destroying, career-ending allegation" that he beat Heard during their volatile relationship.
Calling Heard a "complex individual with a complex history," Sherborne said it was "hard to keep up" with all the additional allegations she kept adding to try to prove her case.
"You can imagine how Mr. Depp feels about it, given that some of them weren't even put to him," the lawyer said of Heard's "astonishingly self-serving and fictionalised accounts" of her time with Depp.
He continued that Amber "deliberately sought to hide or play down her misuse of drink and illegal drugs," adding that Amber always said the "medical notes were wrong. They were right when it suited her and wrong when it didn't. How convenient. Doctors were lying, nurses were lying, police officers were lying. Only Ms Heard was correct, at all times no matter what."
He went on to insist the burden was on The Sun's legal team to prove the actor was violent to justify the 2018 article, as he noted that "no charge (was) ever filed against Mr. Depp" and accused the paper and its journalist of acting as "both judge and jury" in saying the star was guilty of "serious and violent criminal offences."
"This is not a mere accusation - the article leaves no room for doubt whatsoever for its readership of millions," Sherborne concluded.
While Tuesday's proceedings were ongoing when WENN went to press, judge Mr Justice Andrew Nicol isn't expected to deliver his ruling for several weeks.
