Judge rules Depp v The Sun libel trial will go ahead despite breach

JOHNNY DEPP’S libel claim against The Sun over allegations he was violent towards ex-wife Amber Heard will go ahead next week, following a High Court ruling.

The actor, pictured, is suing the tabloid’s publisher, News Group Newspapers (NGN), and its executive editor Dan Wootton over a 2018 article which referred to Mr Depp, 57, as a “wife beater”.

The article related to allegations made against Mr Depp by actress Ms Heard, 34, that he was violent towards her during their marriage – claims he strenuously denies.

In a last-ditch attempt to derail the High Court trial, due to start next Tuesday, NGN’s legal team had asked Mr Justice Nicol to strike out Mr Depp’s claim. Adam Wolanski QC argued the Hollywood star was in “serious” breach of a court order because he had not given NGN’s legal team what he referred to as the “Australia drugs texts” between Mr Depp and his assistant, Nathan Holmes. Mr Justice Nicol found on Monday that Mr Depp had breached an “unless order” requiring him to disclose documents from separate libel proceedings against Ms Heard in the US – which include the text messages. However, in a ruling yesterday, the judge said he would grant Mr Depp’s application for “relief from sanctions”, meaning the trial will go ahead as planned. The judge said his decision was conditional on Mr Depp giving an undertaking that he will not seek sanctions against Ms Heard for allegedly breaching a court order, made during separate libel proceedings in the US, by providing The Sun’s legal team with evidence.

During a hearing last week, Mr Wolanski said the message, sent in 2015, shortly before an alleged incident in Australia between Mr Depp and Ms Heard, which she claims was “a three-day ordeal of physical assaults”.

The lawyer said the messages demonstrated that Mr Depp was trying to get drugs during the Australia visit. He said references to “happy pills” and “whitey stuff” showed Mr Depp was trying to obtain MDMA and cocaine, which he argued was “profoundly damaging to his case”.

The alleged incident in Australia is one of 14 separate allegations of domestic violence, between early 2013 and May 2016, that NGN relies on.