To say that Johnny Depp’s been tangled in legal affairs this year would be an understatement. The Pirates of the Caribbean actor has been spending a lot of time in court lately, whether it be directly connected to his ex-wife Amber Heard or indirectly tied to that messy split. On the latter front, Depp recently lost his libel case against the U.K. publication The Sun, and with his initial appeal over the decision being denied, he’s consequently going to have to shell out a lot of cash.
For those of you who haven’t been keeping track of Johnny Depp’s specific legal feud with The Sun, the actor sued the publication for libel because it described him as a “wife beater” in one of its 2018 articles with regard to his relationship with Amber Heard. While Depp’s side did manage to successfully prove elements of a libel claim, Depp’s case against The Sun was ultimately dismissed on November 2 because the judge found the publication’s statements about the actor to be “substantially true” after hearing Heard’s testimony. Needless to say this was a big win not just for The Sun, but publishers in general, while it will adversely affect Depp as he continues his other legal battles.
Now The Times reports that following the appeal denial over the libel case decision, Johnny Depp must pay £628,000 in legal costs to The Sun, which roughly converts to over $840,000. That said, Depp’s legal team can look into taking the case to the Court of Appeals should they wish to continue action, although they have to do so by December 7. Still, even for an actor of Depp’s stature, having to pay close to $1 million is nothing to sneeze at.
This is just the latest fallout from Johnny Depp losing his libel case. Shortly after the verdict was reached, Depp announced that Warner Bros requested he step down from the role of Gellert Grindelwald in the Fantastic Beasts franchise, and he obliged. Doctor Strange star Mads Mikkelsen is now reportedly in talks to take over as Grindelwald for Fantastic Beasts 3, which would make him the third actor to occupy the role, as Colin Farrell played the disguised dark wizard in the first Fantastic Beasts movie.
Whether or not Johnny Depp has his legal team continue to try and appeal the decision over the libel case, Depp won’t be staying clear of other legal matters anytime soon. For instance, next year, his defamation suit against Amber Heard goes to trial in Virginia. Depp is suing Heard for $50 million after she wrote a Washington Post editorial where she described the abuse she suffered. Although Heard never named Depp in the op-ed, he claims it nonetheless resulted in costing him work, which included losing his gig as Captain Jack Sparrow in the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise (though now a fan-made petition is circulating attempting to rectify that). Heard has filed a countersuit in response.
Keep checking back with CinemaBlend for more updates on both Johnny Depp’s professional and personal lives. In the meantime, keep track of the movies that are set to play in theaters next year with our 2021 release schedule.
