Johnny Depp says he's nearing a 're-beginning' after his 'wife-beater' libel trial loss.
Depp’s libel lawsuit against the Aquaman star will go to trial next year, coming after his libel loss against The Sun in November 2020, with the judge ruling the paper’s claim that he was a ‘wife-beater’ as ‘substantially true’. However, despite attempts by Heard’s attorneys to dismiss his case, a Virginia judge denied their motion.
Ahead of the Pirates of the Caribbean star’s $50 million suit against Heard, Depp recently hired Katherine Zellner, an American attorney who has worked extensively in wrongful conviction advocacy; most notably, in the Making a Murderer case.
Yesterday, February 15, the actor attended the Serbia Statehood Day celebration in Belgrade, where he was awarded the Gold Medal of Merit from controversial Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić. The leader has been accused of moving the nation towards authoritarian rule restricting the freedom of the press.
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'I’m right now on the verge of a new life and I like it, I like a re-beginning. And I would love for that beginning to start here,' Depp told attendees, as per Metro.
'I truly, sincerely thank you, President Vučić, and this medal of merit, if I am given the honour to walk away with this, I thank you for being kind enough to bestow it upon me,' he added.
He received the award for 'outstanding merits in public and cultural activities, especially in the field of film art and the promotion of the Republic of Serbia in the world’. Over the course of his career, he's worked on a number of Serbian-related projects, such as shooting a number of scenes in Belgrade for Minimata and doing voice work for Puffins.
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In September last year while accepting a lifetime achievement award, Depp criticised 'cancel culture' and encouraged his fans to rally against it.
'It can be seen as an event in history that lasted for however long it lasted, this cancel culture, this instant rush to judgement based on what essentially amounts to polluted air. It’s so far out of hand now that I can promise you that no one is safe. Not one of you. No one out that door. No one is safe,' he said.
‘It takes one sentence and there’s no more ground, the carpet has been pulled. It’s not just me that this has happened to, it’s happened to a lot of people. This type of thing has happened to women, men. Sadly at a certain point they begin to think that it’s normal. Or that it’s them. When it’s not.'
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Depp's trial against Heard will begin on April 11 this year.
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Topics: Johnny Depp, Film and TV, Entertainment
