Amber Heard did NOT poo in Johnny Depp’s bed and it was their dog, judge rules after wife beater tried to shame ex-wife
AMBER Heard did not poo in Johnny Depp's bed, a judge ruled today, saying it was more likely to have been one of the couple's dogs.
London's High Court ruled that The Sun was right to brand the Pirates of the Caribbean actor a wife-beater for his brutal attacks on Ms Heard.
In a ruling today, Mr Justice Nicol dismissed Depp's libel claim, saying The Sun's publisher News Group Newspapers (NGN) had proved what was in the article to be "substantially true".
The judge also rejected Depp's claim that his ex-wife Ms Heard, 34, had pooed in the couple's bed in April 2016.
A grim image of faeces in the bed was shown to one of the most respected judges in the UK during the trial.
Depp, 57, vowed to divorce "Amber Turd" after claiming she left poo in the bed in revenge for a furious birthday bust-up.
He said it was a "fitting end" to their relationship after the "crass"; act in their marital bed in Los Angeles.
Honorary Mr Justice Nicol, who has an esteemed career of more than 15 years on the bench, was shown three images of the filth on day six of Depp's trial against The Sun.
Cleaner Hilda Vargas said she was "horrified and disgusted" to find the "fresh faeces"; which she said could only have been left by a human.
The housekeeper, who has worked for Depp for more than 30 years, said: "I pulled back the top sheet on the bed and saw a large pile of faeces.
";I was horrified and disgusted. It was clear to me that this was human faeces.
"I knew that the faeces could not have come from either of Mr Depp's or Ms Heard's two small dogs."
Giving evidence by videolink, she added: "I have cleaned up after those dogs many times and their faeces are much smaller. Further, I have never known those dogs to defecate in the bed."
Ms Vargas said in her statement it showed a "lack of respect" and took photos of the faeces to show Depp's estate manager, before washing and changing the sheets.
Depp said the faeces were definitely "not left by a three or four-pound dog", referring to the couple's Yorkshire Terriers Pistol and Boo.
The housekeeper claimed Ms Heard later confronted her, telling her the photos she had taken of the poo had "destroyed her marriage".
She said in her witness statement: "I was very nervous and so I apologised, even I did not believe that their marital problems were my fault or that I had done anything wrong."
The poo had been found in the couple's bed the morning after Depp had been two hours late to Heard's 30th birthday party at the Eastern Columbia Building in Los Angeles.
Depp is claimed to have got angry after Ms Heard confronted him for being late, with the actor allegedly throwing a magnum of champagne at his then-wife.
Ruling on the case today, the judge said: "Although he has proved the necessary elements of his cause of action in libel, the defendants have shown that what they published in the meaning which I have held the words to bear was substantially true."
Mr Justice Nicol threw out Depp’s defamation case after finding our story - which had always been staunchly backed by Ms Heard - was accurate.
The judge ruled Depp's feelings towards his wife during their turbulent three-year relationship were summed up in a text where the actor revealed he had "no mercy" for her.
He also concluded Depp beat Ms Heard 12 times - starting in 2013 when he slapped the actress when she made a comment about his tattoo.
Over the course of their stormy marriage, the judge found Depp battered his wife after flying into drug and booze-fuelled rages.
But he dismissed two allegations made by Ms Heard in 2014 and 2015.
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.
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."
Following today's sensational ruling, Ms Heard's US lawyer Elaine Charlson Bredehoft said: "For those of us present for the London High Court trial, this decision and judgement are not a surprise.
"Very soon, we will be presenting even more voluminous evidence in the US.
"We are committed to obtaining justice for Amber Heard in the US court and defending Ms Heard's right to free speech."
In July, Ms Heard described her pain as she was forced to relive “traumatic” details of her broken relationship with a monster who made her life a misery.
HOW YOU CAN GET HELP:
Women's Aid has this advice for victims and their families:
- Always keep your phone nearby.
- Get in touch with charities for help, including the Women’s Aid live chat helpline and services such as SupportLine.
- If you are in danger, call 999.
- Familiarise yourself with the Silent Solution, reporting abuse without speaking down the phone, instead dialing “55”.
- Always keep some money on you, including change for a pay phone or bus fare.
- If you suspect your partner is about to attack you, try to go to a lower-risk area of the house – for example, where there is a way out and access to a telephone.
- Avoid the kitchen and garage, where there are likely to be knives or other weapons. Avoid rooms where you might become trapped, such as the bathroom, or where you might be shut into a cupboard or other small space.
If you are a victim of domestic abuse, SupportLine is open Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday from 6pm to 8pm on 01708 765200. The charity’s email support service is open weekdays and weekends during the crisis – [email protected].
Women’s Aid provides a . from 10am to noon.
You can also call the freephone 24-hour National Domestic Abuse Helpline on 0808 2000 247.
During the trial, the court heard how Depp had sent Ms Heard texts calling her “a fat ugly w***e”.
He also sent messages to Brit actor pal Paul Bettany, plotting to drown and burn her as a witch and “f**k her burnt corpse afterwards to make sure she’s dead”.
Lawyers for Depp had argued the messages should not be taken seriously, “however dark and extravagant the language”.
But day after day, the High Court heard evidence that painted Depp in an appalling light.
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The Sun’s barrister, Sasha Wass QC, said the screen legend regularly made his then wife fear for her life.
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He often could not remember “his own disgraceful conduct” while consuming vast amounts of alcohol and drugs.
Pictures shown to the court allegedly showed lines of cocaine on his kitchen table, which Depp admitted taking.