Johnny Depp loses libel case against The Sun

[RoyalCorgi]

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

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.

I'm sorry but this doesn't make sense. The Sun used a defence of truth, which is an absolute defence against libel. So, not that they believed it was true, but that it was true. And the judge found that the Sun was right, and that there were 12 occasions when Depp had been violent towards Heard. It's difficult to be more clear than that.

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.

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

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

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

@IcedPurple

The tide is changing fast in Hollywood.

This isn't Hollywood though. It's a court of law in England.

If Hollywood believes he can still make money for them, all of this will be forgotten pretty quickly.

The Depp problem will be insurance.

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.

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.

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.

@Xenia

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.

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.

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...?

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.

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.

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.

Unfortunately, not only do men hate women (as Germaine Greer once pointed out), women hate women too. It's very discouraging for those of us who want to make things better for women.

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.

@RoyalCorgi

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.

Unfortunately, not only do men hate women (as Germaine Greer once pointed out), women hate women too. It's very discouraging for those of us who want to make things better for women.

Yes, that was my point earlier Royal, it is so sad when you realise that other women hate women as much as men do. Is it societal pressure? Is it learned hatred? Is it because the patriarchy has succeeded in pitting women against women for the spoils of war? I wish I knew, although knowing why might not necessarily make it better it would go some way to helping us plan a way through the hatred and perhaps find a way to break down those walls for our daughters and granddaughters.

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.

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.

@testing987654321

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 think US media will be less sympathetic to Depp now and his own team will try to minimise publicity too.

www.thetimes.co.uk/article/johnny-depp-verdict-jk-rowling-could-decide-hollywood-stars-fate-rp5c8235p

The article doesn't really bear out the headline but this is interesting.

Neil Blair, Rowling’s powerful agent, attended the High Court libel hearing along with Depp’s lawyers in what appeared to be a sign of support for the actor from the Scottish author.

The Times has been busy rewriting that article.

It now says

Once Depp’s libel hearing began Neil Blair, Rowling’s agent, attended the High Court with the actor’s lawyers.

Waiting for the papers to somehow make it out to be JK Rowling's fault.

@Besom

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.

And it might also account for the fact that his previous partners said he was not abusive. Maybe his drug habit has worsened with age.

I sincerely hope J. K. Rowling drops him. However difficult that might be legally.

After everything she has said about being abused herself, I can't imagine her wanting to do anything else, to be honest.

Well, the libel case was specifically about allegations regarding Depp's abuse in context for Fantastic Beasts. The Sun's article was about the surprise that JK Rowling et al. backed Depp in the face of his record of domestic abuse. (Original title of article: "GONE POTTY How can JK Rowling be ‘genuinely happy’ casting Johnny Depp in the new Fantastic Beasts film after assault claim?")

So it involves her deeply, like it or not.

(in context of)