Depp Trial Bombshell: Paul Bettany Reveals Strained Friendship
Paul Bettany recently opened up about the public's misunderstanding of his relationship with Johnny Depp, clarifying that they had not spoken for years despite controversial text messages being used in court. These texts, revealed during Depp's libel lawsuit against The Sun, detailed disturbing comments regarding Amber Heard. Bettany expressed his belief that the public largely understood his quiet personal life.
Actor Paul Bettany recently addressed the public's perception of his relationship with Johnny Depp, particularly following the use of their private text messages in court during Depp’s libel lawsuit against The Sun. In an interview with The Times, Bettany revealed that he had not spoken to Johnny Depp for several years leading up to the trial, nor has he communicated with him since. He expressed surprise at being characterized as a close friend during the legal proceedings, calling it the 'most odd' aspect amidst the celebrity dispute.
Bettany clarified his decision to remain silent on the matter at the time, stating, 'So I decided to say nothing because, I think, people know me. I’ve been married 23 years and, for what I do, I live an incredibly quiet life. Everybody kind of thought this is probably a nothing burger – and left it alone.'
The text exchange that garnered significant public attention originated in 2013 but became public during a February 2020 trial hearing. In the controversial messages, Depp wrote, 'Let’s burn Amber!!!' Bettany responded with a nuanced reply: 'Having thought it through I don’t think we should burn Amber – she’s delightful company and easy on the eye, plus I’m not sure she’s a witch. We could of course try the English course of action in these predicaments – we do a drowning test. Thoughts?' Depp's follow-up was even more graphic: 'drown her before we burn her!!! I will fuck her burnt corpse afterwards to make sure she’s dead.'
Despite this contentious exchange, the two actors had collaborated on several films, including 'The Tourist' (2010), 'Transcendence' (2014), and 'Mortdecai' (2015). The libel lawsuit itself was initiated by Johnny Depp against News Group Newspapers (NGN), the publisher of The Sun. The suit stemmed from an article titled 'Gone Potty – How can JK Rowling be ‘genuinely happy’ casting wife beater Johnny Depp in the new ‘Fantastic Beasts’ film?' Depp argued that the article caused significant harm to his personal and professional reputation, leading to considerable distress and embarrassment. However, in 2020, Judge Andrew Nicol ruled against Depp in the case.