Johnny Depp loses 'wife beater' appeal: UK court rules against actor

Court of Appeal judges in London Thursday dismissed Depp's claims that a retrial of his libel lawsuit against The Sun was necessary because of the "devastating" impact on his movie career, the Times UK reported.

Lord Justice Underhill said the trial judge's ruling in November was correct, explaining that the judge, Andrew Nichol, had found "considerable support from the contemporaneous evidence, that when under the influence of drink and drugs (Depp) was liable to moods of extreme anger and jealousy and could behave highly destructively".

A spokesperson for Heard told the Times that the actress, 34, was "pleased" but not "surprised" by the court's denial of Depp's appeal.

A spokesperson for The Sun added: "The case had a full, fair and proper hearing, and today's decision vindicates the courageous evidence that Amber Heard gave to the court about domestic abuse, despite repeated attempts to undermine and silence her by the perpetrator."

The embattled Pirates of the Caribbean actor, 57, had sought to salvage his reputation with the risky move of launching a libel suit against The Sun, which had labelled him a "wife beater" in a 2018 story. Depp was once one of Hollywood's most popular and bankable stars, but his public image was badly damaged when Heard filed for divorce in 2016 and alleged that he had been abusive during their five-year relationship and 15-month marriage.

Depp's suit meant that tawdry details of his and Heard's behavior during their time together was aired during a public trial last July.

Justice Nichol heard multiple allegations against Depp, including the time in 2014 when Heard said a drunken Depp slapped and kicked her on a flight from Boston to Los Angeles, before passing out in the restroom. The Sun also claimed that Depp's jealousy, addictions and misogyny led to "violent explosions," including a 2015 fight in Australia in which Depp's finger was severed and he used the stump to scrawl messages in his own blood.

Depp, moreover, faced intense questioning about his extravagant, self-indulgent lifestyle, his abuse of alcohol and drugs, and allegations of violence. Depp and Heard began dating near the end of 2011, married in 2015, but split in 2016, when Heard filed a domestic violence restraining order against him.

During testimony, Depp admitted to drinking and using cocaine excessively and discussed losing the $650 million he made during the height of his "Pirates of the Caribbean" fame. He also accused Heard of having an affair with billionaire Tesla CEO Elon Musk, which Heard denied, and was questioned about threatening to cut Musk's penis off.

In a stunning verdict last November that went against most expectations, Nichol ruled that The Sun's story, calling Depp a "wife beater," was "substantially true".

But Depp's legal fight against Heard is not over. He is suing her for $50 million in Virginia over a 2018 op-ed article she wrote for The Washington Post, in which she described herself as a victim of domestic violence. That trial has been delayed until April 2022.