Johnny Depp loses libel case against The Sun

Poor Amber still has an US-based trial with him to get through

Well, I think that's a reasonable thing to say, even if she is a total nightmare to be around she is being dragged through the courts by her violent ex.

I listened to a drivetime radio discussion on this while coming home. Two men were discussing the case. One of them had been in court for the trial. The other (presenter) mentioned only one aspect of the case - the charge that Amber left faeces in JD's bed. I almost rang in to complain and then I reminded myself that it was pointless - I have lost count of my complaint texts to radio stations here regarding their coverage of women's issues in recent weeks, none of which received a response either on or off air.

It's the description of him being regretful afterwards and calling his drunk persona 'the monster' that rings very true to me. If it is true he probably doesn't even remember half of what he has done.

Don't feel like rushing to condemn?!?

In a text message to Paul Bettany (also off my list): "Let’s drown her before we burn her!!! I will fuck her burnt corpse afterwards to make sure she’s dead." Can you imagine a husband/partner saying that about you?

He admitted head butting her. This was part of a larger, contested claim by Amber Heard found to be true by the judge: "The Claimant repeatedly hit Ms Heard, knocking her to the floor. Each time Ms Heard was knocked down, she stood back up.The Claimant responded by yelling, “Oh, you think you’re a fucking tough guy?” He then head-butted her in her face, bashing her nose, which immediately began bleeding and caused her searing pain."

I'm midway through the decision. It's absolutely fucking disgusting.

Perhaps he thought he'd get a million quid like Elton John? But he was certainly Ill advised. It doesn't matter is she is violent ; he is the claimant and the burden of proof is on him not on her.

Actually, in a libel case under English law, the burden of proof is on the defendant. The fact that Depp still lost shows how weak his case must have been.

And I don't know that he was ill advised. At the end of the day, lawyers are employees, and if your client requests that you do something, you'll likely do it even if you advise against it. After all, they're still going to get paid no matter what the outcome is.

But I don't feel like rushing to condemn or convict him just yet.

So if a man admitting he head butted his partner and then a court of law finding that, as a matter of civil truth, he did beat his wife isn’t enough, what actually would it take for you to condemn him...?

Whatever happened I'm disgusted with my facebook feed this morning, all comments from women about what a bitch she is, how he did nothing wrong etc ad nauseam. Real hatred. WTF!!
I feel like unfriending the lot of them.
People who don't know either of them from adam.

DidoLamenting, I wondered the same thing about JK Rowling.

When Amber Heard originally said that she had experienced domestic abuse and released photos and videos of that abuse, JKR said "Based on our understanding of the circumstances, the filmmakers and I are not only comfortable sticking with our original casting, but genuinely happy to have Johnny playing a major character in the movies."

I was really uncomfortable with such a full-throated endorsement of him in light of those photos, but I kept an open mind. I hope she now releases another statement saying that she was wrong.

His inclusion in a production will now mean that it will be expensive to insure said production, if the producers can find an insurer willing to take on the risk in the first place.

And without insurance, you can't film.

The public exposure of his substance abuse issues and erratic, violent behaviour means that Depp is now a liability in this regard.

A lot of performers with these types of issues find that it is their insurance liability that crashes their careers. A similar situation claimed the scalp of a boy band member recently.

I don't think anyone here has said "poor Amber".

It's on the first page.

Poor Amber still has an US-based trial with him to get through

IntermittentParps I am happy to condemn him, even though it may be the only woman he has ever been abusive towards.

They both came out of this really badly so I'm not going along with the "poor Amber" line.
I don't think anyone here has said "poor Amber".
He was violent to her, there is no excuse for that. Doesn't matter how she behaved, the judge said he was a wife beater.
Now if we were talking about whether she was abusive I would say different things. I don't think she somehow deserved how he treated her though, because no0ne does

Johnny Depp didn't lose the case because he is guilty of being a wife beater, he lost the case because the Sun published the article with the belief that the information was true and therefore no liable.The case the case in America will determine if he was abusive

This is factually incorrect and I can only assume the poster simply hasn’t read the summary judgment properly before diving in to try to defend him.

Johnny Depp didn't lose the case because he is guilty of being a wife beater, he lost the case because the Sun published the article with the belief that the information was true and therefore no liable.
The case the case in America will determine if he was abusive

Exactly this.
I have no dog in this fight, being neutral on both of them. But I don't feel like rushing to condemn or convict him just yet.

Overall, Hollywood seem to have moved on from all-acceptable to ‘we need an image that looks solid and pretty on social media’.
this is improvement

I see very little evidence of that.

Johnny Depp has worked solidly in the 4 years since the domestic abuse allegations surfaced. If Hollywood believes he will still make money for them, he'll continue to get work.

I wonder if J K Rowling will finally condemn him now? Her justification of his casting in Fantastic Beasts is less and less acceptable (although by no means the only problematic aspect of those films)

Maybe, but probably not publicly. Which would be entirely understandable given the SM shitstorm she has been through!

I don't think she has to say anything if she doesn't want to but she certainly leaves herself open to justifiable criticisms of hypocrisy if she doesn't.

• should say dicks not twats on the feminist board sorry!

People on twitter who are so invested in the god like qualities of JD and how he definitely did not do this like they know him personally. It's mad. A couple of my idols from when I was younger have turned out to be twats. It's not nice but hey ho - I revised my opinion. Depp comes across in interviews as a bit of an arse anyway so I don't find it that difficult to imagine him being a twat in his personal life.

The judge is one of the biggest media law experts so good luck trying to find a point of law where he erred. Has anyone said he did?

Nope. The nearest is someone referring to somewhere else where comments were all in JDs favour.