Kiwi journalist Dan Wootton on winning libel case against Johnny Depp: 'This victory is for Amber Heard'

Johnny Depp has lost his high-stakes libel case against The Sun tabloid newspaper and a New Zealand-born journalist for labelling him a "wife beater", as a British judge said he believed the actor had abused his ex-wife and that she frequently feared for her life.

In one of the biggest English libel trials of the 21st century, Depp sued News Group Newspapers, publisher of The Sun, and the newspaper's executive editor, Dan Wootton, over an April 2018 article that accused him of assaulting fellow actor Heard.

In an interview with Talk Radio, Wootton said: "You may know that Johnny Depp has been suing both my newspaper The Sun and me personally for a column I wrote questioning whether JK Rowling should have cast the troubled actor in her Fantastic Beasts franchise following a string of domestic abuse incidents against Amber Heard."

 But today is not about Johnny Depp. In fact, I'd be happy never to hear the bloke's name again. I certainly won't be talking about him anymore, even though I do hope he is able to get the help he so obviously needs.

"Today is about @realamberheard. Thank you Amber for your bravery. Thank you for giving traumatic evidence in the face of the most toxic and unfair abuse of your character.

Thank you for being prepared to take on the Hollywood machine."

In a decision that has been cheered by campaigners against domestic abuse, Justice Andrew Nicol said the defendants had proved during the trial in London that their allegations against Depp were "substantially true". Depp's lawyers said they would appeal the decision.

Over the course of nearly three weeks this summer, Nicol had heard lurid — and irreconcilable — accounts from Depp and his ex-wife Amber Heard in which each accused the other of abuse.

"I have found that the great majority of alleged assaults of Ms Heard by Mr Depp have been proved to the civil standard," Nicol wrote in his ruling.

Lisa King, director of communications and external relations at the charity Refuge, which provides support for victims of domestic violence, expressed hope that the ruling sends "a very powerful message" that every single survivor of domestic abuse "should be listened to and should be heard".

Stephens, the media lawyer, called the decision "absolutely devastating" for Depp.

"Johnny Depp is only going to be able to rehabilitate himself if he accepts this judgment," he added.

02 Nov 2020

This was an article taken from the NZ Herald after Johnny Depp sued Dan Wootton and the sun for calling him a wife beater.

I’ve always thought our judicial system was pretty fair, bit soft in places, bit of work needed in others, but I never suspected you didn’t get a fair hearing.

Johnny Depp didn’t get a fair hearing when he tried to stand up to his bully in 2020

He got ignored, judged (wrongly) accused (also wrongly) and the favourite term of the times – Cancelled

Well, Johnny did what we tell victims of abuse to do all of the time. He was brave and he stood up to his bully. And he finally got his day in court. His evidence wasn’t ignored or left out this time. It was entered, it was seen, and he had a legal team that showed time after time that he did not beat his wife as the sun and Dan Wootton claimed but he was beaten by his wife. Amber Heard had perjured herself. She lied, she faked photos, she used him, she let her friends use him, she used his money, his connections, and his illness of addiction to kick him down and keep him there.

Thanks to the US justice system, the jury, Johnny’s legal team and the millions of people who saw the real story unfold in real time, on the 1st June 2022 Johnny Depp finally got the justice he deserved and has given a voice to so many people telling them that they can stand up to their bullies. Bullying has no gender, men & women do not need to be afraid to speak up. Johnny has shown that and we are proud.

And, now it’s time for those in the UK who helped feed the lies of a narcissist – Dan Wootton, The Sun, and whoever else is involved, to give Johnny Depp a public apology at the very least. Giving a bully like Amber Heard the voice to represent people in a place of vulnerability is sickening. Their actions of railroading Johnny’s UK case are responsible

Please sign the petition asking Dan Wootton and the sun to put right the lies they printed.