Johnny Depp's libel case against Sun put on hold over coronavirus, texts show he tried to sabotage Amber Heard
Johnny Depp and Amber Heard's case seems to have been put on a hold. The 56-year-old actor's libel trial against Britain's The Sun newspapers — which accused him of beating his ex-wife — has been postponed due to the COVID-19 outbreak.
Depp's case against News Group Newspapers and The Sun's executive editor Dan Wootton comes over an April 2018 article that blatantly labeled the star a "wife-beater". Following the threat of the coronavirus pandemic, Justice Nicol ruled that Depp's case against The Sun's owners and News Group Newspapers will be adjourned until after the worldwide crisis subsides. Depp, Heard and a number of other celebrities were to be present in London's High Court on Monday for a two-week trial but it has been suspended right now after Depp's legal representatives were told to be in quarantine.
A representative from News Group Newspapers, Adam Wolanski QC, urged the judge to proceed with the case and pointed out how Heard was "prepared to make the trial happen and come and give evidence." He added, "She is in California, but despite all the travel problems and the risks to her health of traveling, she has found a flight leaving Los Angeles today. It is essential to Miss Heard that the ordeal that Mr. Depp has subjected her to for many years is brought to an end."
While she may have been prepared to fly out of LA to bring the ordeal to an end, Depp's lawyer said that the actor didn't want to put anyone else in harm's way. In a statement, he said, "Mr. Depp has pursued and awaited justice for nearly four years. The Judge hearing Mr. Depp's defamation case against The Sun raised safety concerns. Although the case is extremely important to Mr. Depp, he is also uneasy about putting anyone else in harm's way. These are perilous times, and he accepts waiting until the borders and the courts can safely operate."
That's not all. The couple, who filed for divorce in 2017 after a two-year marriage, is undergoing another case in the United States. Moreover, a few reports came in about how Depp allegedly told Lady Gaga's ex-fiance Christian Carino that Heard was "begging for global humiliation" in a number of explosive text messages. He also called her out for having a sexual liaison with billionaire Tesla CEO and co-founder Elon Musk for legal help.
A few texts were read at the High Court. "She's begging for global humiliation, she's gonna get it," one read and another said, "I'm gonna need your texts about San Francisco," followed by "Brother, I'm sorry to even ask but she sucked mollusc's [Elon Musk's] crooked d*** and he gave her some sh**y lawyers."
More texts said, "I have no mercy left of what I thought was love for this gold-digging, low level, dime-a-dozen mushy, pointless, flappy fish market. I'm happy to fight her to the end. She will hit the wall hard," and "I met a f**ing sublime little Russian here. That time I blew on a 50 cent stripper I would not touch her with a goddamn glove. I can only hope karma kicks in and takes the gift of breath from her. Sorry man, but I will stop at nothing."
Meanwhile, Wolanski QC claimed that Depp has "used his physical, financial, and professional power to embarrass and harass" Heard in an attempt to destroy her career. Reportedly, in a text sent to Depp's sister Christi Dembrowski in June 2016, the actor wrote: "I want her replaced on that WB (Warner Brothers) film."
Wolanski continued, "[It is] not because of the coronavirus but because he cannot face the lies about his relationship being exposed because he's a coward and because he knows he's going to lose." In the wake of all the circumstances, only time will tell when the proceedings are held and what comes out of it.