Will libel loss bankrupt Johnny Depp? Millions in legal fees might deplete actor's already battered fortune
Now that Johnny Depp has lost his libel case against the News Group Newspapers, publishers of The Sun, as well as it's executive editor Dan Wootton, over an April 2018 article, which the actor alleged unfairly branded him a "wife-beater," he will most likely have to cough up millions in legal fees.
The high court dismissed the claim by the 'Pirates of the Caribbean' star for compensation from the British newspaper for reportedly defaming him through the publication of the piece which labeled him an abusive husband to former spouse Amber Heard. In his 128-page ruling, the judge, Mr Justice Nicol, said: “The claimant [Depp] has not succeeded in his action for libel … The defendants [the Sun and News Group Newspapers] have shown that what they published in the meaning which I have held the words to bear was substantially true."
As soon as the verdict was announced, The Sun celebrated its victory by putting out another piece titled, "Johnny Depp verdict: Actor beat ex-wife Amber Heard 12 TIMES, judge rules as The Sun wins libel case trial." The article began by declaring, "In a stunning victory for press freedom, London’s High Court ruled we were right to brand the Pirates of the Caribbean actor a 'wife-beater' for his brutal attacks on his ex."
The article added, "Depp’s loss leaves his reputation in tatters, with his glittering silver screen career facing ruin. And in another bitter blow, he could now face forking out millions of pounds in legal costs - including The Sun’s." Although the article did not specify the exact amount that Depp might end up paying as a result of losing the case, it was clear that the sum ran in millions.
Before the ruling, we reported that Depp ended up spending an estimated £5 million ($6.4 million) in legal costs for what was described in media coverage as the biggest English libel trial of the 21st century. It was not known how much the other side ended up spending in the case. According to the Guardian, Depp was expected to receive between £180,000 to £200,000 ($230,000 to $250,000) in damages if he had won the case. Also, whoever ended up on the losing side, was always going to end up paying the bulk of the winner’s legal costs in addition to their own. It should be noted that there is a limit of £325,000 ($415,000) on general damages according to UK law. However additional compensation is allowed for "aggravating" factors which in this case, was cited by Depp's team as the fact that The Sun retained the article on its website.
Depp's Net Worth
Depending on how much he might have to shell out after losing the case against The Sun, Depp's whopping net worth of $200 million (according to Celebrity Net Worth) might only be slightly affected. He is highly unlikely to be bankrupt even after paying up whatever compensation the judge decides, that is if it doesn't run into hundreds of millions of dollars. He will also likely make up for his losses as he charges $20 million per movie and currently has four Hollywood projects under his wing.
However, it was reported recently that Depp told the courts that he had lost $650 million in 2016 because his management had not filed his taxes for 17 years. In 2018, the actor had also revealed in the Rolling Stone magazine that he was "on the brink of bankruptcy."
Following the verdict, a spokesperson for The Sun said: "The Sun has stood up and campaigned for the victims of domestic abuse for over twenty years. Domestic abuse victims must never be silenced and we thank the Judge for his careful consideration and thank Amber Heard for her courage in giving evidence to the court."
But Depp's lawyers branded the ruling "as perverse as it is bewildering" hinting the actor may appeal the decision. Schillings said in a statement: "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 judgment is so flawed that it would be ridiculous for Mr Depp not to appeal this decision. In the meantime, we hope that in contrast to this case, the ongoing libel proceedings in America are equitable, with both parties providing full disclosure rather than one side strategically cherry picking what evidence can and cannot be relied upon.”