Johnny Depp's libel lawsuit continues, and, needless to say, the case has been even more attention-getting than we would have thought. There have been some pretty strong accusations both by and against Johhny Depp already, and while we learned yesterday that we would not be hearing from some of Depp's former relationships on the stand, it turns out that we know what Winona Ryder and Vanessa Paradis would have likely said, as their pre-trial witness statements have been released.
Both Winona Ryder and Vanessa Paradis gave statements before Johnny Depp's libel trial against The Sun got underway. Both actors were scheduled to testify in the trial itself, but earlier this week Depp's side made the decision not to call either woman. It was ultimately decided the testimony wasn't necessary, since the issue at hand, The Sun referring to Depp as a "wife beater" in a story a couple of years ago, was specifically focused on allegations made by Depp's ex-wife Amber Heard.
We had already seen some from these witness statements in the past, but Reuters has more details on exactly what the women said in them. Winona Ryder said that the idea that Johnny Depp was violent was the "farthest thing" from the person that she knew. Vanessa Paradis called the claims "outrageous" and "false facts."
Of course, since both Winona Ryder and Vanessa Paradis were planning on testifying on Depp's behalf we could have guessed this would have been their testimony even without hearing it. In the end, there's no argument that Johnny Depp wasn't violent with either of those women, making the testimony ultimately irrelevant.
The Sun's defense against Depp's claim of libel is that the statement is true, which means the case rests largely on the words of Amber Heard, who has accused Depp of physical and mental abuse. Depp, for his part, has accused the actress of the same, claiming she has been the one that has been violent against him on at least one occasion. He also claims that she defecated in their bed at one point. And that's not the only instance of bodily waste entering into this case. The case has also included a severed finger.
While the court will not hear from these celebrities, other big names have become part of the proceedings. Comments made to and about James Franco have become part of the story, as have texts between Depp and Paul Bettany.
Yeah, this case has been wild.
One can only hope that these stories are as wild as things get. Of course, there's an entire second lawsuit pending. Next month, a defamation case against Amber Heard brought by Johnny Depp is scheduled to go to trial.
