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Johnny Depp loses libel case against The Sun

193 replies

RoyalCorgi · 02/11/2020 10:33

I think this is probably a good thing for those of us who campaign against domestic violence:

www.theguardian.com/film/2020/nov/02/johnny-depp-loses-libel-case-against-sun-over-claims-he-beat-ex-wife-amber-heard

OP posts:
Besom · 02/11/2020 12:19

Glad about this as I was expecting him to win. When I read about it I believed her account of things. It has the ring of truth for me.

Oliversmumsarmy · 02/11/2020 12:17

No, the judge said that using civil definitions of truth, he found that what the Sun published was true

To be exact “substantially true”

Annasgirl · 02/11/2020 12:17

@MayDayFightsBack

The lack of people agreeing with the verdict doesn't surprise me after all the adoring crap I've read about Sean Connery this weekend - a man who said he thought it was fine for men to hit women and whose ex wife said he hit her regularly.
He was on my list above.
CuriousaboutSamphire · 02/11/2020 12:16

... and a golfer, don't forget!

nibdedibble · 02/11/2020 12:15

@DidoLamenting

Sean Connery was a vile specimen and a terrible actor.
Agree. And a tax dodger I believe.
goldenharvest · 02/11/2020 12:14

I think they were equally abusive to one another. Doesn't excuse either of them.

mangoesforever · 02/11/2020 12:13

@GoldenNCurly

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
DidoLamenting · 02/11/2020 12:12

Sean Connery was a vile specimen and a terrible actor.

nibdedibble · 02/11/2020 12:11

@Annasgirl

Will this hinder his career in any way? I mean, I boycott so many movies and other business and arts items, due to certain men being wife beaters (I won't mention them on here as I am unsure which of them have been convicted in court) but I do not know any other people who do. So when a movie or song comes on and I switch over and explain to my family, they look at me with that "isn't mum mad" look (even, worryingly, my DD).

So will there be any change? I mean, if he had upset someone in the cancel culture category, he would no longer have a career, but in the sphere of DV, are men not always allowed an out?

You aren’t alone, I have a boycott list as long as my arm. There’s so much good art made by decent people, I’m not going to lose any sleep over not watching a bad person act, or not reading their book.
RuffleCrow · 02/11/2020 12:10

And for the record, he used to be my "ideal man" back in the day, so it's quite a fall from grace in my eyes, and i would have been much happier if he hadn't been an abusive arse. Ditto my feelings on Sean Connery.

DidoLamenting · 02/11/2020 12:10

@QuentinWinters

Having read a lot about it I am surprised by the verdict I'm not. The only way he wasn't going to lose was a) if courtdecided an awful lot of people were lying or b) the court decided that it was reasonable to be physically violent to a girlfriend under provocation.

All those saying "they are as bad as each other" - maybe (although not from where I'm sitting). That doesn't stop him being a wife beater tho

No one has said that so not sure what your point is. Equally his being a wife- beater doesn't stop her being a "husband- beater".

They both came out of this really badly so I'm not going along with the "poor Amber" line.

IcedPurple · 02/11/2020 12:06

@Wildswim

libel is notoriously difficult to prove.

Yes, for the newspaper to prove it DIDN'T libel. It's far harder for the media than for the claimant (Depp). The Sun had to prove it was true , Johnny Depp didn't have to prove it was false!

Exactly. English law is famously favourable to claimants in libel cases. In many jurisdictions, the burden of proof is on the claimant, but in England, the opposite is true. That's why there's such a thing as 'libel tourism' - where celebrities go out of their way to have a libel case heard in an English court - and why publishers sometimes don't publish British editions of books with potentially libelous material, as the risk to them is too great.

And still Depp lost.

QuentinWinters · 02/11/2020 12:06

Having read a lot about it I am surprised by the verdict
I'm not. The only way he wasn't going to lose was a) if courtdecided an awful lot of people were lying or b) the court decided that it was reasonable to be physically violent to a girlfriend under provocation.

All those saying "they are as bad as each other" - maybe (although not from where I'm sitting). That doesn't stop him being a wife beater tho

RuffleCrow · 02/11/2020 12:05

yes!!!!! Very glad to hear this .

He really thought that by proving she wasn't the "perfect victim" he would automatically exonerate himself, didn't he?!

Pah. It's a bad day for misogynists and a good day for us radfems.

Wildswim · 02/11/2020 12:01

libel is notoriously difficult to prove.

Yes, for the newspaper to prove it DIDN'T libel. It's far harder for the media than for the claimant (Depp). The Sun had to prove it was true , Johnny Depp didn't have to prove it was false!

workshy44 · 02/11/2020 11:58

He was very badly advised - I cannot believe he took the case as libel is notoriously difficult to prove.
I think his career is over now, he will get work but not the kind of paid work he was used to and he has a ridiculously extravagant lifestyle

Having read a lot about it I am surprised by the verdict

Wildswim · 02/11/2020 11:57

@GoldenNCurly

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
No, the judge said that using civil definitions of truth, he found that what the Sun published was true. The Sun used the defence of truth. It has a high bar, much higher than in the States. So yes, he is a wife-beater.
Al1langdownthecleghole · 02/11/2020 11:55

To me, this comes under the two wrongs don't make a right category.

The Sun named him as a wife beater and a judge agreed. Amber Heard's behaviours though grim, don't change that.

dratalanta · 02/11/2020 11:52

The judge held that, at the civil standard of proof, 12 out of 14 incidents of domestic violence were proven to have occurred, and that nothing should be read into the defence's failure to produce enough evidence to prove the other two allegations.

So the court found that Johnny Depp is a wife-beater, and that Amber Heard was the victim of domestic violence. For that she deserves public compassion and concern, regardless of what we think we know about her personality, behaviour, motives in speaking to the press, or anything else.

GoldenNCurly · 02/11/2020 11:50

Will the US case be dismissed then?

GlummyMcGlummerson · 02/11/2020 11:38

@Annasgirl

Will this hinder his career in any way? I mean, I boycott so many movies and other business and arts items, due to certain men being wife beaters (I won't mention them on here as I am unsure which of them have been convicted in court) but I do not know any other people who do. So when a movie or song comes on and I switch over and explain to my family, they look at me with that "isn't mum mad" look (even, worryingly, my DD).

So will there be any change? I mean, if he had upset someone in the cancel culture category, he would no longer have a career, but in the sphere of DV, are men not always allowed an out?

No, of course not. Abusive male celebrities are Teflon coated. One of them holds the most powerful position in the world FFS (Trump).
Xenia · 02/11/2020 11:33

I followed the trial in the papers and I couldn't really understand why he decided to bring the case. Both sides admitted they were violent so no good was ever going to come of all the extra publicity.

DownThePlath · 02/11/2020 11:32

@DidoLamenting

It's not unexpected. I don't know why he was advised to pursue it.

But as for "poor Amber" - they were as bad as each other.

Absolutely. She's pretty vile too
boobot1 · 02/11/2020 11:28

@DidoLamenting

It's not unexpected. I don't know why he was advised to pursue it.

But as for "poor Amber" - they were as bad as each other.

This
blueangel19 · 02/11/2020 11:26

But as for "poor Amber" - they were as bad as each other.

Yes