Aug
3
2025
Johnny Depp faced two high-profile legal battles that captured global attention: the 2020 UK libel trial against The Sun and the 2022 US defamation trial against Amber Heard. As a Depp fan, these trials were pivotal moments in his fight to clear his name from allegations of domestic abuse, which supporters believe were fabricated by Heard. This page provides a brief introduction to both cases, with links to detailed daily overviews for those wanting to dive deeper into the evidence and testimonies that shaped these historic legal showdowns.
The 2020 UK Libel Trial
In 2020, Johnny Depp sued The Sun and its editor Dan Wootton over a 2018 article calling him a “wife beater,” alleging it defamed him by falsely claiming he abused Amber Heard. The trial, held in London’s High Court from July 7 to July 28, 2020, saw Depp deny the allegations, supported by witnesses like Vanessa Paradis and police reports showing no evidence of Heard’s injuries. Despite audio evidence of Heard admitting to hitting Depp, the judge ruled against him, accepting Heard’s claims as “substantially true.” Fans viewed this as an unfair outcome, citing ignored evidence and the lack of a jury.
Read the full UK trial daily overview
The 2022 US Defamation Trial
The 2022 trial in Fairfax, Virginia, from April 11 to June 1, saw Depp sue Heard for $50 million over her 2018 Washington Post op-ed implying he abused her.
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