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

And yes we can at least go off their own public statements and recordings. I didn’t realise saying anything uncomplimentary about Amber made me a Depp defender though.

You can think he was abusive without going down the St Amber road

I'm sorry but as someone who has been on the recieving end of an abuser for a long time, it seems to me that JD was abused himself first and it's quite possible that he then abused back. I have followed this story extensively and also listened to the recordings. What he should of done is leave but he didn't, and in the end he's made a mess for himself. It saddens me that as feminist's, we are not willing to say a man here has been on the recieving end of violence first and it was a woman who has done this. I'm not defending his actions but take a serious look at the many documents and audio tracks pertaining to this before making comments.

and if she did do something it was clearly provoked by him and how he was behaving...
Now swap the pronouns and you sound just like the other people we condem had it been the other way around. So he 'provoked her', that's a really sad sentence to see tbh.

What are you talking about? His whole defence was that she provoked him!
He headbutted her for flips sake

Depp admitted to accidentally headbutting her as she was attacking him. He should of left a long time ago but he didn't, that's on him, agreed. Again, I can see what is being played out here, regardless of sex. I understand a lot of women feel vidicated with this trial but honestly, it's she who threw the first stone, in fact, many stones before he retaliated, as you see many battered wives do. She saw his vulnerability regarding drugs (similar thing happened to me) and capitalised on it. I'm sorry, I don't agree with the narrative that he was the first aggressor.

I'm sorry, I don't agree with the narrative that he was the first aggressor.
Oh fgs
Noone says he was first aggressor
The case was about whether or not it was reasonable to call him a wife beater. They found it was.
He was abusive to her. There is no excuse. It wasn't self defence. It doesn't matter what she did. He was abusive.

Her story and his are very different. In court the judge agreed with her, yet many people insist she caused it all, on the basis of nothing.
Shocking sexism really.

This is like accepting the "I accidentally fell and penetrator her while she was asleep" line. How do you accidentally headbutt someone hard enough to give them 2 black eyes?

The judge found that 14 out of the 16 instances were true.

And that his findings didn't mean the remaining incidences weren't true.

Some people seem to have trouble separating Johnny Depp from from Jack Sparrow.

Some people seem to have trouble separating Johnny Depp from from Jack Sparrow.

Exactly.

One's a scruffy, odd looking, inadequate specimen who drinks far too much and the other is a fictional pirate for gawd's sake..

If everyone just read the judgment ( I know it's long) you would see this idea of 'she attacked him first' is just untrue. Depp deployed two defences - 1) he was the victim of domestic abuse and he retaliated in self defence 2) these incidents were part of an 'insurance policy' by Heard where she would goad him into saying and doing things, which would then later make him look bad so she could blackmail him for money. The judge says neither of these are true. If you read the 14 instances of violence, it is clear that Heard is the victim of unprovoked attacks by Depp. This entire story that she was the one who cast the first stone etc was found to be FALSE.

@IwishNothingButTheBestForYou2

Some people seem to have trouble separating Johnny Depp from from Jack Sparrow.

Exactly.

One's a scruffy, odd looking, inadequate specimen who drinks far too much and the other is a fictional pirate for gawd's sake..

🤣

The ignorance on this thread is astounding.

Depp has not been found guilty of beating Amber. There has been no charges, no criminal trial, no jury.

This was a CIVIL case in which ONE judge found it more likely than not. ie 51% probability that Johnny beat Amber.

That does not make him guilty.

It doesn't make him criminally guilty of beating Amber, but it's still true that he's a wife beater.

Wrong.

A significant part of Depp's case relied on the argument that he was "only" violent to Amber in response to her behaviour. He admitted being violent to her. His claim was that it wasn't his fault and therefore he should not have been described as a wife beater. The judge not only disbelieved Depp's account of the relationship, he also found that regardless of whether or not Amber provoked him or behaved badly, he was violent towards her and that therefore the "wife beater" epithet was not libellous.

Sure, if this came before a criminal court with a jury they might find differently, although given Depp admitted violence it may well not end up in trial. And to dismiss the decision of a senior High Court judge who made very clear factual findings on the balance of probability is really clutching at straws.

If you read the judgment the court literally finds it is true that he’s a wife beater. The paper won on the defence of truth. This is why I am able to say he is a wife beater, and that it’s true. You don’t need to be found guilty of a criminal offence in order for it to be true, or a fact, that you committed that offence. For example, there was a really horrible case a while ago where a man was found to have killed a baby. However it was impossible to convict him for the child’s death because the police had messed up the investigation and no trial was possible - all the evidence was gone. So it’s true that he killed the baby, but it also true that he is not a convicted child killer.

I'm always fascinated by the psychology of superfans who won't believe (despite overwhelming evidence to the contrary) that their hero can do any wrong.

Why?

Rampant libido? (No one I fancy could possibly be a wrong 'un.) Some sort of strange refusal to engage with reality, preferring a fictional world at all costs? Or are they male superfans who quite like a bit of wife-beating themselves?

Baffling.

I’m not a super fan.

I read the judgment in detail because it was high profile and interesting, and found it genuinely baffling that most of the judge’s conclusions were based on the testament of Amber Heard because she was “under oath” (and no one commits perjury?) yet ignored the evidence of domestic/violence trained cops and the neutral staff that worked in the apartment building etc etc

Also where did Depp admit beating Amber please?

I tentatively opened this thread because I seem to have an opinion that’s not shared by anyone else... only to find you’re my people!

"Suspect AH already had some trauma in her background when they met."

well she was already arrested in 2009 for domestic violence against her ex girlfriend.
www.eonline.com/news/770771/amber-heard-was-reportedly-arrested-for-domestic-violence-against-her-girlfriend-in-2009

Seems Johnny had some trauma in his background, by his mum, who he also seemed to love a lot. I also know he self harmed by cutting himself as well as drugs.

"Johnny Depp said that his mother was probably the “meanest human being” he has ever met in his life.

Johnny Depp was raised alone by his mother, Betty Sue Palmer as his father was absent for a large part of his life. In a previous interview after she passed away, Johnny Depp described her as “mean” but “funny”. He had revealed previously that his mother would give him “irrational beatings” and would also throw things at him during his growing years. In an interview with a magazine in 2018, Johnny Depp revealed that sometimes it would be an ashtray or a phone that would be thrown at him by his mother. However, he revealed that he alluded that it was her childhood that made her into the way she was.

Johnny Depp's 'cruel words' about his mother at her funeral revealed, read details

In a previous interview with a magazine, Johnny Depp revealed what his last word to his mother, Betty Sue Palmer at her funeral was. Read on to know more.
Written By
Nissy Sara

Johnny Depp’s personal life is currently under the scanners as his trials are being held in London’s High Court for claims that he abused his ex-wife Amber Heard. Depp has denied all allegations against the same. Now, if recent reports are to be believed, then, in his last trial on July 7, 2020, the actor gave some insights into his relationship with his late mother, Betty Sue Palmer.

In a previous interview with a magazine in 2018, Johnny Depp had spoken about his troubled relationship with his mother, Betty Sue Palmer. His mother was diagnosed with cancer in 2013 and then passed away in 2016. At her funeral, Johnny Depp said that his mother was probably the “meanest human being” he has ever met in his life.

ALSO READ | Johnny Depp Accuses Ex-wife Amber Heard Of Severely Injuring His Finger; Shares Old Pic

Johnny Depp was raised alone by his mother, Betty Sue Palmer as his father was absent for a large part of his life. In a previous interview after she passed away, Johnny Depp described her as “mean” but “funny”. He had revealed previously that his mother would give him “irrational beatings” and would also throw things at him during his growing years. In an interview with a magazine in 2018, Johnny Depp revealed that sometimes it would be an ashtray or a phone that would be thrown at him by his mother. However, he revealed that he alluded that it was her childhood that made her into the way she was.

ALSO READ | Johnny Depp In UK Court Confessed That His Drug Use Began When He Was 11-years-old

In the same interview, Johnny Depp mentioned how there was no stability in his household during his growing years. He revealed that his family moved numerous times in Kentucky and Florida. Johnny Depp further added that his mother would work double shifts to survive the family. He revealed that he would rub her feet as she counted the money she earned.

Talking further about his house, Johnny Depp named his house to be a “ghost house”. He added that it was this situation that shaped him into a more “nurturing person” that he is. Johnny Depp revealed that from his first pay, he bought his mother a house as a thank you gift."

Not sure how what Amber has said about herself can be libel towards her. It's not the media. It's from her own mouth and her own recordings.
m.youtube.com/watch?v=aca0KWoHtqQ

Here is an important recording, and this is her own recording of her own admissions of violence towards him and how she is angry that he goes away from her because he doesn't want to fight and he doesn't want violence. She calls him a coward etc for "splitting" i.e. running away from fighting with her. If you are going to have an opinion on this, especially if you're a "poor amber", "st. angel amber" type, it's important to listen to this. It's long but necessary.

m.youtube.com/watch?v=aca0KWoHtqQ

"Hey everyone! Welcome back. I'll keep this description short. This is a recorded conversation/argument between Johnny Depp and Amber Heard. This was recorded just months before they filed for divorce in May 2016.

I know this is a long one, but I encourage you to listen to/watch the entire video.

I understand there are some who don't like me interrupting the audio to add context or insight. Here are some time stamps that might help.

ACTUAL AUDIO STARTS: 2:37

SKIP COMMENTARY:
4:23 - 6:02
6:48 - 7:04
8:13 - 8:54
14:49 - 15:18
16:02 - 16:31
21:53 - 22:46
25:02 - 25:27
28:33 - 29:24
42:38 - 43:00
52:45 - 53:09
57:49 - 1:00:33 (AUDIO ENDS & CLOSING COMMENTS)

KEY MOMENTS:

AMBER SAYS JOHNNY HE CANT RUN AWAY EVERY FIGHT "LAZY...COWARDLY":
11:15

AMBER SAYS JOHNNY DOESN'T "FIGHT":
19:29

AMBER ADMITS TO THROWING POTS, PANS, VASES AND CANS AT JOHNNY:
20:10

ARGUMENT ABOUT AMBER PUNCHING JOHNNY THE NIGHT BEFORE. AMBER TELLS JOHNNY TO "GO F*CK" HIS BODYGUARD
23:05

AMBER ADMITS TO STARTING FIGHTS, HITTING HIM AND THEN MOCKS HIM. CALLS HIM A BABY.
25:28

JOHNNY TALKS ABOUT AMBER ATTACKING HIM ON A PLANE:
42:05

JOHNNY SUGGESTS HOW THEY SHOULD CALMLY SPEAK TO EACH OTHER. THEY DISCUSS WHY THEY GOT MARRIED:
44:09

AMBER AGAINBLAMING HER VIOLENCE ON JOHNNY "SPLITTING".
46:25

JOHNNY SAYS THERE CAN BE NO VIOLENCE. AMBER ADMITS TO GETTING SO MAD SHE LOSES IT.
47:55

JOHNNY PROMISES TO TRY AND STAY WHEN SHE WANTS TO FIGHT.
AMBER TELLS HIM TO HELP HER REALIZE WHEN SHE GETS "CRAZY":
48:37

JOHNNY WILL TRY HELP HER.
AMBER TELLS HIM IF HE IS GONE FOR TOO LONG SHE WILL GET WORSE:
53:08"
Probably best/easier to just listen to it all the way through. I was certainly shocked by it.
Other videos, I haven't watched yet m.youtube.com/watch?v=Cg9SvQSMnoE
m.youtube.com/watch?v=PbXTr41ZFTQ

Some people seem to fundamentally misunderstand what this trial was about. It was not whether amber was also violent to Johnny Depp in their relationship. It was about whether it was true to say that Depp was a “wife beater.” The court did not accept Depp’s argument that he only attacked her in self defence, and so it is true that he is a wife beater. If it’s established that Johnny Depp is an abuser, showing videos or audio of amber admitting she attacked him too does nothing to obviate that conclusion. Both can be true. It can be true that amber hit him and that he’s also an abuser.

m.youtube.com/watch?v=aca0KWoHtqQ

This is not just her admitting hitting him, or throwing things at him, or her admitting she "starts physical fights", or when Johnny says if things get physical they need to be apart and there can be no violence, Amber saying no and Amber saying "I can't promise you that I won't get physical again. God I fucking sometimes get so mad I lose it". It's more than all that. It's revealing in other ways, that are probably more important...

This is recorded after all their supposed altercations have happened, it is recorded after everything she will later accuse him of, it's just months before they filed for divorce in May 2016. The more important thing actually to take from this tape, rather than any admissions about her actions, is the fact she spends the entire tape telling him she is upset/mad at him for "splitting" (meaning leaving the room or house), in past arguments/fights, instead of staying to argue and fight with her. On what planet does a battered victim wife want their "wife beater" husband to stay to fight with them???!! They are more likely to be glad they left the room, I'm certain a victim wouldn't be upset or mad about their "wife beater" husband leaving the room during an argument/fight, and before anything physical happens.

She seems totally unconcerned about violence here, if you listen to the full tape in her mind she is concerned that him leaving the room and not fighting means he doesn't care about their relationship, whereas he is concerned about physical altercation, he doesn't want to be in a physical altercation that's why he leaves, and she tells him he is using his desire to avoid physical confrontation as an "excuse" to "split"/leave and not stay to argue/fight. She also is mad that he now leaves immediately at the beginning of fights when there has been no physical violence, which makes her angry and "perpetuates the fight" (listen to the entire tape, it's about this). When he tells her he left because she hit him last night she says what about all the other times he leaves when there is no physical violence, so tells him not to act like he leaves because of physical violence. When he has already said he leaves because he doesn't want them to be in a physical altercation, obviously he is going to leave before they start fighting, that's the point, logic. She also says he "hits BACK, so don't act like you don't fuckin participate". "Back" and "participate" being the operative words. Remember, this is supposedly recorded after all of the one way "wife beating" violence she later accuses him of.

A snippet:

Amber Heard: "All the trust in the relationship is gone because you keep splitting (leaving). We fight together and you're the only one who splits and I.. I want that back but you..."

Johnny Depp: "There's no trust there there's nothing."

Amber Heard: "Then maybe there's nothing to talk about but I did come over here with enough love in my heart and sincerity."

Johnny Depp: "Thank you"

Amber Heard: "That all the things I said, that now I like... but I meant them you know, I fucking meant them. Even though you fuckin split and didn't come home. You know I still, I still did that. Fuckin I've shown myself, I've proven myself, I've fought for you, I've shown up"

Johnny Depp: "I'm not gonna be in a fuckin physical altercation with you."

Amber Heard: "Then don't"

Johnny Depp: "You fucking hit me last night"

Amber Heard: "What about all the other times you split (left)? Come on you cannot act like that's about that."

Johnny Depp: "well on a plane I can't split"

Amber Heard: "No, and you hit back, so don't act like you don't fuckin participate"

Johnny Depp: "I pushed you"

Amber Heard: "I'm not going to get into the details of that fight. You and I both know that you split when there is no physical violence involved, and that you do it immedi- like at the very beginning of fights these days. And if you split, and you go into a different room and you actually leave the house, it does nothing but perpetuate the fight..."

"If everyone just read the judgment ( I know it's long) you would see this idea of 'she attacked him first' is just untrue."

Well here in this tape we hear from herself, later in the tape she said she "started physical fights" herself, that's her exact words at one point in the tape. The Judge was not there just like everyone else, I couldn't care less about his judgement really, what's it based on? Amber's words now. Well what is also Amber words in that tape, including she said she "starts physical fights" and everything else, but imo more importantly she said she is angry that he leaves the room/house because he doesn't want to get into a fight. And this is after the incidents she later alleged.

It's clear they get into arguments which escalate into fights which they both engage in, both have been physical to each other, throwing things at each other and other physical violence to each other, and it sounds like Johnny Depp does not want that to happen.

What she is concerned about is she doesn't want him leaving the room/house/going to his friend's house/getting a separate hotel room/sleeping in a different bed. That is the safety/security she is concerned about, the safety of feeling secure in their relationship, she says she thinks if he doesn't stay and argue/fight with her, and instead leaves the room/house and all those things I listed, that he doesn't care about the relationship and their relationship might end. She thinks if he is not staying to argue/fight with her that he is not fighting for her/for their relationship.

Listen to the tape, I know it's long, but this is from her own mouth.
m.youtube.com/watch?v=aca0KWoHtqQ

Actual audio of Johnny and Amber starts at 2:37

Also, this snippet...

Johnny Depp: "If things get physical we have to separate. We have to be apart"

Amber Heard: "No we don't"

Johnny Depp: "We have to be apart from one another. Whether it's for an hour, ten hours or a fucking day. We must. There can be no physical violence."

Amber Heard: "I can't promise you that I'll be perfect, I can't promise you that I won't get physical again. God I fucking sometimes get so mad I lose it."

I know which one sounds like the spouse beater there and which one sounds like they don't want to be in a violent relationship.

I wish I had a full transcript of that tape for people who won't/can't listen to it. If there is a transcript anywhere I'll try to find it.

I was following the trial as much as I could, the tweets from a channel 5 journalist called Nick I think. I just checked, Nick Wallis. He has court transcripts I started to read. I don't care what a Judge says, Judges can be wrong. We can judge what we read, hear and see as much as any Judge, especially after we read the entire court transcripts. I'm not going to ignore that tape and what I was following from trial transcripts (though I admit I've not read it all, yet).

I'm not going to just be on the woman's side because we are both women. It's not just about whether she was violent to him, it's also all that about her being mad about "splitting" instead of staying to fight, which I find unusual to say the least for the victim of a "wife beater" . For those who think men can't be victims though, I will say my dad was a victim of my violent mum, who then gaslit and mentally abused me and him about it. So it happens. When Amber mocked Johnny telling him to "tell the world that you Johnny depp, A MAN, are a victim of domestic violence, and see how many believe you", that pissed me off.

Anyway, I'm not going to dismiss that tape. If people want to, on your own conscience be it. The Judge dismissed that tape apparently because Amber said something different under oath, and he couldn't question her about the tape, it was recorded for a different purpose? Huh? Lol. Awful. He couldn't question her in court about it? Btw, media keep showing the photo of her face after Depp threw a phone at her which hit her face, that is violence, but that doesn't say "wife beater" to me.

Oh and this witness testimony of her violence and lies about certain incidents from her/her sister's friend...

mobile.twitter.com/TheInfamousOne6/status/1334301402533773312

mobile.twitter.com/marterinn/status/1324055732183060480

mobile.twitter.com/ThatBrianFella/status/1298683397460692992

From Amber's own tape and own words it was a volatile relationship with violence from both of them, they got in arguments that escalated into physical fights, both were violent. From Amber's tapes Johnny didn't want that so he leaves/"splits". She doesn't seem concerned about the violence as she wants him to stay and fight. Sorry I disagree based on what I've read, heard, seen, that he is a "wife beater", "wife beater" means something different to me. I don't care what the judge said. If he is a "wife beater" then she must be a "husband beater" then according to her own words. Why is it ok for her to be violent, and to "start physical fights", and to be mad and abusive towards him that he wants them to be apart from each other so these don't occur, and she wants him to stay and fight. This is on tape from herself, yet she is getting off scot free little miss victim, and he is being labelled. Any rare acknowledgement from her supporters/women's groups that she was violent is being framed as her "fighting back" and "self defence", that's not what it sounds like from her own words on that tape. If that is what the feminist board wants to go with, the lazy narrative, woman innocent victim, man evil. Fine. At least listen to the tape first.

She even has a history of arrest for domestic violence, whereas Johnny's exes have all defended him, Vanessa Paradis and Winona Ryder defended him in this case and can't believe the accusations. I know that's not proof of anything and people can be different at different times/partners etc. but it's something. Also I remember when a tape came out in the media obviously leaked from her side of him upset and angry in the kitchen, he burned his hand on something from the microwave, kicked kitchen cupboards and slammed kitchen cupboard doors, he was drinking wine, she comes in to question and secretly film him, he's upset about something that isn't to do with her, I can't remember if it was about finances or his mother's illness/death, he just wants to be left alone. She doesn't leave him alone. He discovers she is secretly filming him and he grabs the phone and in the original video it cuts out and we were left to assume he was violent to her, this video was supposed to be proof of that. Well the full video came out during this trial and that was not the end of the video, he actually takes the phone from the kitchen work top throws it to the floor says "goodbye", walks out the room, she picks up the phone looks into the camera and laughs, and follows him.

In his ruling the judge made clear he took Ambers testament in court as the truth because she was under oath. He dismissed the recording because she wasn’t under oath.

His ruling is therefore questionable to say the least.