AMBER: MY PAIN AT RELIVING BREAK-UP WITH JOHNNY
Actor ‘lost everything because of ex’s claims’
JOHNNY Depp has lost “nothing less than everything” as a result of “appalling allegations” that he was violent to ex-wife Amber Heard, the High Court was told yesterday on the final day of the star’s blockbuster libel action against The Sun newspaper.
It is important to the star to clear his name, his lawyers told the court, saying: “This is not about money, this is vindicating him.”
The comments, made in Court 13 of the Royal Courts of Justice, came as Ms Heard stood on the steps outside and said she stood by her evidence and would “place her faith in British justice”.
The biggest English libel trial of the 21st century ended yesterday after three weeks of high drama, claims of brutal violence and sensational revelations about a tempestuous Hollywood marriage.
Mr Depp’s libel action against News Group Newspapers (NGN), publisher of The Sun newspaper, and its executive editor Dan Wootton, over an article which alleged he was violent to Ms Heard and labelled him a “wife beater”, has attracted global media attention.
Day 16 of the trial saw the Pirates Of The Caribbean star (57) arrive to screams from fans inside the court’s main hall.
In closing submissions his barrister, David Sherborne, said Depp was “no wife beater”.
He accused NGN and Mr Wootton of “acting as both judge and jury”, said the article was “not researched at all”, and that it was presented in a “deliberately and wholly one-sided manner”.
Mr Sherborne also launched a stinging attack on Ms Heard (34), accusing her of being a “compulsive liar”.
In his final remarks, Mr Sherborne said: “What is important to Mr Depp is clearing his name of these appalling allegations, expanded on as it has been over the last four years, as a result of which he has lost nothing less than everything, he would say.
“When I say he has lost everything, to him obviously everything is his reputation. This is not about money, this is vindicating him.”
Mr Sherborne told the court it is “common ground” that Ms Heard’s credibility is “key”, adding: “It is the defendants who bear the burden of proof.”
“We say from the big points even to the smaller ones, Ms Heard has proven herself to be a wholly unreliable witness and, frankly, a compulsive liar — and I don’t say that lightly.” Earlier, Mr Sherborne had referred to evidence given by Ms Heard that Mr Depp had thrown his former girlfriend Kate Moss down the stairs. The barrister said: “In yet another moment of unscripted malevolence, she tossed in a total lie... namely that she was scared for her sister and, terrified, punched Mr Depp because in that moment she remembered a rumour about Kate Moss.”
The barrister added: “I’m sorry — there are many, many victims of domestic violence and different situations, but this is a huge disservice to those genuine victims, as well as the Metoo movement, for Ms Heard to count herself as one of them, as she plainly does.”
Shortly after 4pm, Ms Heard made a statement outside court.
She said: “I did not file this lawsuit and, despite its significance, I would have preferred not to be here in court.
“It has been incredibly painful to relive the break-up of my relationship, have my motives and my truth questioned, and the most traumatic and intimate details of my life with Johnny shared in court and broadcast around the world. I stand by my testimony and I now place my faith in British justice.”
On Monday, lawyers for NGN made their closing submissions, with barrister Sasha Wass QC telling the court that the defence is “one of truth, namely that Mr Depp did indeed beat his wife”.
Mr Justice Nicol is not expected to give his decision before September.