Johnny Depp appeals he Sun libel suit ruling

Johnny Depp has applied to the U.K. Court of Appeal in an effort to overturn a ruling he assaulted his ex-wife Amber Heard.

The movie star sued tabloid The Sun’s publisher for libel after he was labelled a “wife-beater” in a 2018 article, but last month a judge dismissed his claim, finding News Group Newspapers’ lawyers had proved in court that what was in the article was “substantially true”.

The judge then refused Depp’s request to appeal, ruling: “I do not consider that the proposed grounds of appeal have a reasonable prospect of success.”

He also ordered Depp to cover a large portion of NGN’s legal fees, before giving the actor until 7 December to apply directly to the Court of Appeal to overturn his judgment.

And the Pirates of the Caribbean star has done just that.

Losing the trial last month cost Depp his role in the latest Fantastic Beasts movie after Warner Bros. executives asked him to resign. He has been replaced by Danish actor Mads Mikkelsen.

He is also suing his ex-wife, Heard, for defamation in America over a 2018 Washington Post opinion piece, in which she claimed to be a victim of domestic abuse.