Hollywood actor Johnny Depp’s libel case against News Group Newspapers’ The Sun and executive editor Dan Wootton began today.
Depp is suing the publishers over an April 2018 article, which referred to Depp as a “wife beater” in reference to ex-wife Amber Heard’s allegations of domestic abuse.
Depp has vehemently denied the allegations.
During the opening day of the trial, Natasha Wass QC, who is representing News Group Newspapers, referred to Johnny Depp’s friend and former co-star Paul Bettany as one of Depp’s “drug buddies”.
Johnny Depp wore a face mask to court
Depp, 57, replied: “Is that a question?”
The barrister said: “It is a question. Was Paul Bethany one of your drug buddies?”
Depp responded: “Paul Bettany is an actor that I’ve worked with several times, he is a friend and we have… yes, we have dabbled in drugs together.”
Depp and Bettany, 49, have starred in a number of films together including 2010’s The Tourist, Transcendence in 2014 and Mordecai in 2015.
Amber Heard was pictured arriving at court
Heard, 34, who was married to the Pirates of the Caribbean actor from 2015 to 2017, was also pictured heading into the High Court today.
Depp’s former girlfriends Vanessa Paradis and Winona Ryder, who have both strenuously defended Depp’s character, are expected to give evidence via video link.
Johnny Depp claimed to have taken drugs with Paul Bettany
The trial is expected to last three weeks.
Depp’s lawyers will seek to prove the Sun’s allegations are not true and amount to “serious harm” as defined in the Defamation Act 2013.
Sketch of Johnny Depp in court today
In an April 2018 column, The Sun’s executive editor Dan Wootton asked how Harry Potter author JK Rowling could be “genuinely happy” Depp had been cast in the latest film in the Fantastic Beasts spin-off franchise in light of the allegations by Heard.
The Hollywood actor denies ever having been violent to Heard, and claims the article included quotes from alleged victims of disgraced film producer Harvey Weinstein in order to “finish his career” by linking the allegations against him to the #MeToo and Time’s Up movements.
Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk
