Amber Heard’s statement as judge finds Johnny Depp beat her 12 times
A High Court judge has found that Johnny Depp did beat his ex-wife Amber Heard, an accusation he vehemently denied as he took libel action against The Sun and its publishers
A judge has found that Amber Heard was beaten by Johnny Depp on 12 occasions.
The Pirates of the Caribbean actor vehemently denied the claims when they were published in The Sun newspaper, and took libel action against its publishers News Group Newspapers.
After a three-week trial at London’s High Court earlier this year, a judge awarded victory to the publisher, saying: “I have found that the great majority of alleged assaults of Ms Heard by Mr Depp have been proved to the civil standard.”
Mr Justice Nicol dismissed the Pirates Of The Caribbean star’s claim, saying NGN had proved what was in the article to be “substantially true”.
The judge said: “The claimant has not succeeded in his action for libel.
“Although he has proved the necessary elements of his cause of action in libel, the defendants have shown that what they published in the meaning which I have held the words to bear was substantially true.
“I have reached these conclusions having examined in detail the 14 incidents on which the defendants rely as well as the overarching considerations which the claimant submitted I should take into account.”
After the finding was handed down, Elaine Charlson Bredehoft, US counsel for Amber Heard, said in a statement: ” For those of us present for the London High Court trial, this decision and Judgment are not a surprise.
“Very soon, we will be presenting even more voluminous evidence in the U.S. We are committed to obtaining Justice for Amber Heard in the U.S. Court and defending Ms. Heard’s Right to Free Speech.”
Depp and Heard will now go head-to-head in a separate $50 million defamation case in the US.
Depp is bringing the case against his ex over an opinion piece she wrote in The Washington Post in December 2018.
The trial will take place in May 2021 at the earliest due to the coronavirus pandemic.
As part of his findings today, the judge found that Depp beat Heard 12 of the 14 times he was alleged to have been violent towards her.
The judge’s finding is to the civil standard, which means it is a balance of probabilities, and not the criminal standard, which would mean it had been found to be beyond reasonable doubt.
The first incident, the judge found, was in 2013 when Depp slapped Heard after she made a comment about his tattoo.
He had had a tattoo which read “Winona Forever”, in reference to his ex Winona Ryder, altered to read “Wino Forever”.
The judge dismissed two allegations that were made by Heard of alleged incidents in 2014 and 2015, but said that he couldn’t conclude she had been “untruthful” about it.
Depp has announced he will be appealing Mr Justice Nicol’s finding.
Jenny Afia of law firm Schillings, which represented Depp in the case, said in a statement: “This decision is as perverse as it is bewildering.
“Most troubling is the judge’s reliance on the testimony of Amber Heard, and corresponding disregard of the mountain of counter-evidence from police officers, medical practitioners, her own former assistant, other unchallenged witnesses and an array of documentary evidence which completely undermined the allegations, point by point. All of this was overlooked.”
The 12 beating allegations that the judge found proven
Early 2013
Depp slapped Heard and knocked her to the ground after she made a joke about his “Wino Forever” tattoo.
March 2013
Depp flew into a rage while high on drugs and hit Heard, making her lip bleed.
June 2013
Depp attacked Heard inside a trailer in Hicksville, ripping her dress and throwing glasses at her.
May 2014
Depp screamed at Heard while they were on a private jet after he had consumed drugs and alcohol. He kicked her in the back or bum.
August 2014
Depp grabs Heard by the hair, slaps her and pushes her to the ground while on a detox trip in the Bahamas.
January 2015
Depp attacks Heard while on drugs, slapping her and pushing her to the ground. She cried as he stood over her yelling.
March 2015
Depp launched three-day attack on Heard in Australia. She’s left with a split lip, swollen nose and cuts all over her body. He trashed the house and pushed her to the ground, choking her and spitting in her face. He made her “fear for her life”.
March 2015
At their LA home, Depp grabbed Heard in front of her sister Whitney and repeatedly hit her.
August 2015
Depp pushed Heard against the wall and grabbed her by her throat during their honeymoon.
December 2015
Depp threw a glass decanter at Heard during a drug binge at their LA home. He also slapped her and dragged her through their apartment by her hair, ripping a chunk of it out. Depp hit Heard in the back of the head and headbutted her in the face before screaming ‘I will f***ing kill you’. Depp pushed her face into a mattress and repeatedly punched her in the back of the head.
April 2016
Depp assaulted Heard at her birthday party after receiving “grim news” about his finances.
May 206
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