Sun Sentinel Palm Beach Edition
Depp’s libel case stalled by virus
Johnny Depp’s libel suit against British tabloid The Sun was put on hold Friday as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.
Depp is suing the newspaper’s parent company, News Group Newspapers, and Executive Editor Dan Wootton over a 2018 article claiming he was violent and abusive to his ex-wife Amber Heard.
A trial had been due to start Monday at the High Court in London, with Depp, Heard and other celebrities due to give evidence. But judge Andrew Nicol said Friday that he had “reached the reluctant conclusion that the trial does have to be adjourned.”
The judge said two of Depp’s legal representatives had already had to self-isolate because of the virus, and he added that “no one can predict whether others involved in the case, and I do not exclude myself, will either become infected or need to self-isolate.”
Depp’s lawyer, Jennifer Afia, told a preliminary hearing this week that the actor was at a “remote location” in the south of France and could not travel because of restrictions imposed to fight the pandemic.
But the newspaper’s attorney, Adam Wolanski, alleged that Depp wanted to delay the trial “because he’s a coward and because he knows he’s going to lose.” He said that despite the pandemic, Heard was willing to travel from Los Angeles to London to testify or to give evidence by video.
Lecrae distributes wash stations:
Grammy-winning hip hop recording artist Lecrae joined forces with a nonprofit organization Thursday to assemble and distribute portable hand-washing stations throughout Atlanta in areas with a high density of homeless people.
Lecrae Moore and volunteers with Love Beyond Walls assembled 15 wash stations, filled them with water and hand sanitizer and loaded them onto a truck for distribution.
Lecrae, winner of the Grammy Award for best gospel album in 2013 for “Gravity,” rolled up his sleeves and went to work early, his mind set on helping the less fortunate.
“I wanted to continue doing the same stuff that I have been doing just in any city I’ve lived in, and that’s just being close to the disenfranchised and the marginalized communities,” Lecrae said.
Beale Street Music Festival postponed:
The Beale Street Music Festival and the World Championship Barbecue Cooking Contest in Memphis, Tennessee, have been postponed because of the coronavirus outbreak.
Memphis in May officials said in a statement Thursday that the two cornerstones of the city’s monthlong tourist event have been called off but will be rescheduled.
The music festival and the barbecue cooking contest attract music fans and barbecue cooking teams from around the world.
The Lumineers, Three 6 Mafia, the Avett Brothers, Lil Wayne and the Smashing Pumpkins were among the musical acts scheduled to perform at the music festival.
March 21 birthdays:
Timothy Dalton is 74. Roger Hodgson is 70. Conrad Lozano is 69. Brad Hall is 62. Sabrina LeBeauf is 62. Gary Oldman is 62. Kassie Depaiva is 59. Matthew Broderick is 58. Rosie O’Donnell is 58. Cynthia Geary is 55. Andrew Copeland is 52. Laura Allen is 46. Scott Eastwood is 34. Forrest Wheeler is 16.