PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN STAR JOHNNY DEPP “WIFE BEATER”, RULES COURT

Justice Andrew Nicol in his ruling said that the defendants, The Sun had proved that what they published was “substantially true” during a trial in London that included accounts from Depp and ex-wife Amber Heard. Depp’s lawyers are said to appeal against the decision.

“I have found that the great majority of alleged assaults of Ms. Heard by Mr. Depp have been proved to the civil standard,” Nicol wrote in his ruling.

Depp sued News Group Newspapers, publisher of The Sun, and the newspaper’s executive editor, Dan Wootton, over an article in April 2018 that accused the actor of assaulting his ex-wife Amber Heard.

The ruling, as of now, is being taken as a big blow to Depp’s reputation and to his finances. Depp’s lawyer termed the decision as “perverse as it is bewildering.” “The judgment is so flawed that it would be ridiculous for Mr. Depp not to appeal this decision,” Jenny Afia said in a statement.

The tabloid called the decision a “stunning victory for press freedom.” “Domestic abuse victims must never be silenced, and we thank the Judge for his careful consideration and thank Amber Heard for her courage in giving evidence to the court,” a spokesperson for the tabloid said in a statement.