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Johnny Depp 'still in shock' after winning defamation trial
Johnny Depp lands in Glasgow for next leg of tour with Jeff Beck after revealing to fans he’s ‘still in shock a little’ after winning blockbuster defamation trial against ex-wife Amber Heard
- Johnny Depp told fans he was ‘still in shock a little’ about winning his defamation trial against Amber Heard
- The actor, 58, appeared on stage with Jeff Beck, 77, at Sage Gateshead, northern England, on Thursday night
- Guitarist Beck praised the Pirates of the Caribbean actor for making it past ‘the s**t he has been through’
- As fans mobbed him after the gig Depp also joked about the finger he claims Amber Heard severed in a fight
- He arrived in Glasgow, Scotland, on Friday ahead of another gig at the Royal Concert Hall that evening
- Depp sued Heard, 36, for $50million over a 2018 piece she wrote alleging she was a victim of domestic abuse
- Heard countersued for $100million, claiming Depp’s lawyer Adam Waldman made defamatory statements
- Depp was awarded $15million after winning the blockbuster defamation case against his ex-wife Wednesday
Johnny Depp arrived in Glasgow ahead of a gig with rock guitarist Jeff Beck just hours after the Hollywood megastar revealed to fans he was ‘still in shock’ about winning his blockbuster defamation trial against Amber Heard.
The actor, 58, has been in the UK to join Beck, 77, on his tour and made an appearance during his friend’s gig at Sage Gateshead in the north of England on Thursday night.
He will play at the Glasgow Royal Concert Hall on Friday, June 3, before heading to Manchester’s O2 Apollo for another gig on Saturday.
Depp learned he will walk away with millions of dollars after he won his US defamation case against his ex-wife Amber Heard on Wednesday.
The actor seemed in good spirits as he came out to greet well-wishers after the concert in Gateshead, signing autographs and posing for photos with a crowd of roughly 200 people who had waited by the stage door to see him leave.
After fans congratulated him on winning the suit the Pirates of the Caribbean star laughed and said: ‘Thank you, I’m still in shock a little.’
Depp also joked about the finger he claims Amber Heard severed during a fight they had in Australia, an ordeal he spoke about in court.
Johnny Depp has arrived in Glasgow ahead of a gig with rock guitarist Jeff Beck just hours after the Hollywood megastar revealed he was ‘still in shock’ about winning his defamation trial against Amber Heard
He will play with Beck (left) at the Glasgow Royal Concert Hall on Friday, June 3, before heading to Manchester’s O2 Apollo for another gig on Saturday
The superstar raised a fist as he left the Dakota Hotel in Glasgow ahead of a concert at the city’s Royal Concert Hall
As he signed autographs he smiled, leant down, pointed at a little boy’s fingers and said: ‘You have five, I have four and seven eighths. Mad.’
During the trial he said: ‘She [Amber Heard] had thrown a bottle of vodka and cut my finger off. The tip of my finger. A good chunk.’
‘I miss it,’ he added, with a brief smile.
Jay Phillips, 30, a dog groomer from Gateshead, was standing near the boy when Depp spoke about his finger. She said Depp was ‘humble and sincere, constantly thanking everyone’.
She told MailOnline: ‘He’s a very sweet and kind man. Not many A-list celebs would stand greeting fans in the rain. The child asked about Captain Jack and Johnny proceeded to tell him a story about it and asked the kid for a high five.’
Earlier that night Depp was cheered as he returned to the stage after winning his lawsuit over ex-wife Amber Heard.
As he strode onto the stage he was greeted with rapturous applause from the crowd, while Beck quipped: ‘There’s someone here. You may not know who it is…’ Beck went on to reference the actor’s court victory the day before as he shouted: ‘What a result. What a result!’
Depp beamed as he made his way onto the stage before playing guitar and singing a selection of rock ballads with rockstar Beck, who he met five years ago.
The actor also left to cheers and applause before returning for an encore where the pair played The Beatles song A Day in the Life, which ended with Depp and Beck embracing.
Beck told the crowd they had collaborated on album that was ‘coming out in July’ before adding, ‘Really, the s**t he has been through.’
Depp joined Beck at the Royal Albert Hall in west London last Monday and Tuesday night after surprising fans with an appearance at Sheffield City Hall on Sunday. He will continue on Beck’s UK tour, playing in Glasgow on Friday, Manchester on Saturday, Birmingham on Monday and York on Tuesday. It is thought the tour was planned before Depp’s trial date in the US was set.
It comes after Depp sued his ex-wife Heard, 36, for $50million over a 2018 piece she had written that alleged she was a victim of domestic abuse.
Johnny Depp told adoring fans he was ‘still in shock a little’ about winning his blockbuster defamation trial against his ex-wife Amber Heard
Depp will walk away with millions of dollars after he won his US defamation case against his ex-wife Amber Heard on Wednesday. After fans congratulated him on winning the suit the Pirates of the Caribbean star laughed and said: ‘Thank you, I’m still in shock a little.’ He was mobbed by fans and well-wishers after he left the gig and greeted fans in the rain
The actor, 58, has been in the UK to join Beck, 77, on his tour and made an appearance during his friend’s gig at Sage Gateshead in the north of England on Thursday night
Fans of the Pirates of the Caribbean and Donnie Brasco actor waved through the window of his silver Mercedes as he left the hotel
Heard countersued him for $100million, claiming that Depp’s lawyer Adam Waldman made defamatory statements by calling her claims a ‘hoax’.
Depp won the suit and was awarded $15million — $10million in compensation and $5million in punitive damages.
Heard won just one of her three countersuit claims, which related to statements made by Depp’s lawyer suggesting she and friends had trashed their apartment before calling the police out.
She was awarded $2million in compensatory damages out of the $100million she was seeking in her countersuit against her ex-husband and received zero dollars in punitive damages.
Johnny Depp also joked about the finger he claims Amber Heard severed while hundreds of adoring fans mobbed him after a gig on Thursday night
The Pirates of the Caribbean star won his US defamation case against his ex-wife Amber Heard on Wednesday and was awarded $15million
He remained tight-lipped when asked about his victory in the defamation trial, refusing to answer any questions about the verdict as he was mobbed by a crowd of adoring fans
‘What a result!’: Johnny Depp was cheered on by Jeff Beck and fans in Gateshead on Thursday as he played his first gig since his $15million lawsuit win over Amber Heard
Team Johnny! The singer was mobbed by fans after the gig as roughly 200 people turned out to show their support
Loving life: The actor, 58, has been in England joining singer Jeff Beck on his tour and made an appearance during his friend’s gig in Gateshead on Thursday night
The judge later reduced Depp’s $5million punitive damages award to the Virginia maximum of $350,000, reducing Depp’s total to $10,350,000 – minus the $2million he was ordered to pay Heard.
It means Depp walks away from the case with $8.35million.
He chose not to hear the verdict in person, which was announced at the Fairfax County Circuit Courthouse in Fairfax, Virginia on Wednesday.
Instead he went out for drinks with Beck and fellow musician Sam Fender at The Bridge Tavern pub in Newcastle, before returning to the stage to support the English guitarist on tour the following day.
Depp insisted that the only attack on the trip had been launched by Heard when she hurled a vodka bottle at him and caused the infamous injury which cut off the top of his finger
Depp is on the stand at the High Court for a third day today and was questioned about the incident after he previously claimed the injury was sustained when Heard threw a vodka bottle at him during the fight in Australia
Actor Johnny Depp displays the middle finger of his hand, injured while he and his ex-wife Amber Heard were in Australia in 2015
Case: Depp sued Heard, 36, for $50million over a 2018 piece she had written that alleged she was a victim of domestic abuse, with Heard countersuing for $100million
Pals: As Depp strode onto the stage he was greeted with rapturous applause from the crowd, while Beck quipped: ‘There’s someone here. You may not know who it is…’
Buddies: While Depp kept quiet, Beck went on to reference the actor’s court victory the day before as he shouted: ‘What a result. What a result!’
During his time in England, the actor also recently made a surprise appearance at an animal rescue in Kent.
Depp was pictured cradling an orphaned badger named Freddie as he stopped by Folly Wildlife Rescue where he toured the care and vet units.
Beck is as a patron of the rescue, so the guitarist and his wife Sandra brought Depp to the rescue to see the work it does with wildlife.
Folly Wildlife Rescue shared a photo of the Hollywood star to their Facebook account and wrote: ‘What an incredible afternoon it was for our staff and volunteers, as he toured the hospital’s care and vet units.
‘Johnny was incredibly complimentary and in his own words ‘blown away’ by what he saw.
‘To top the visit off, we even allowed him the rare privilege of briefly holding Freddie (as in Mercury!) one of the many orphaned badger cubs we’re currently hand rearing – and I think it’s fair to say he was bowled over by the whole experience!’
Dave Risley, director at Folly Wildlife Rescue, said the British musician and American actor donated a signed T-shirt for the centre to sell to help fund their facilities.
He said: ‘We asked Johnny if he could donate some memorabilia for us to sell at our weekly auction.
‘I believe him and Jeff have signed a T-shirt, which people can bid for and hopefully raise a lot of money for us.
‘Johnny made sure to say goodbye to everyone, shook-hands and hugged the members of staff – we were all just shell-shocked.’
Mr Risley added Depp was eager to be shown around the site and learn the inner workings of the sanctuary that cares for hundreds of injured, orphaned and distressed wild animals throughout west Kent and East Sussex.
He said: ‘Johnny was here for over an hour, and we gave him a tour of the whole place. He was very complementary and really seemed to enjoy it.
‘Overall he was charming and polite – what you would call a southern gentleman.
‘I walked into one of the rooms where a few volunteers were working and said ‘who likes Johnny Depp?’
‘A few of them nodded and I replied, ‘well he’s next door if you want to meet him’.
‘They just couldn’t believe it. He even did a few Jack Sparrow lines with the accent.’
Rock on: While Depp did not reference the court case himself during the gig, he beamed as he made his way onto the stage before playing guitar and singing a selection of rock ballads
On the move: Depp has been supporting Jeff Beck at several gigs over the past few days
Mobbed: Despite his recent ordeal, Depp seemed in good spirits as he came out to greet well wishers, signing autographs and posing for photos with a crowd of roughly 200 people who had waited by the stage door to see him leave
Back with his fans: Depp looked delighted as he chatted with the onlookers, graciously hanging around to sign autographs
The star seemed to be in good spirits and was pictured with a smile on his face following the gig in northern England
Snap happy: Hordes of fans pushed forward desperate to catch a glimpse of the Hollywood star
Steady on: Depp was flanked by burly security guards as the crowds rushed to get snaps
Rebel: After the gig Depp was seen enjoying a cigarette in front of a no smoking sign
The photo shared on Facebook already has around 10,000 likes and actor is now following the sanctuary on Instagram.
Dave added: ‘We have 12 badger cubs at the moment, that’s when we snapped the picture. It has taken us years to get followers on social media, I think we were around 24,000.
‘After us posting the photo on Facebook, we gained 4,000 followers overnight. The post of Johnny now has 6,000 shares and over 10,000 likes.
When and where is Johnny Depp next playing a gig?
Johnny Depp has joined English guitarist Jeff Beck for the UK leg of his tour.
He will play concerts on:
- June 3 – Glasgow
- June 4 – Manchester
- June 6 – Birmingham
- June 7 – York
‘Also, we found out that he is now following us on Instagram – a rare privilege – as he only follows around 100 people.’
Following his court victory on Wednesday, Depp released a statement that read: ‘Six years ago, my life, the life of my children, the lives of those closest to me, and also, the lives of the people who for many, many years have supported and believed in me were forever changed.
‘And six years later, the jury gave me my life back. I am truly humbled.’
Meanwhile, Heard, who was married to Depp from 2015 until 2017, admitted she was ‘heartbroken’ as she spoke after the verdict.
She said in a statement: ‘It is a setback. It sets back the clock to a time when a woman who spoke up and spoke out could be publicly shamed and humiliated.
‘It sets back the idea that violence against women is to be taken seriously.
‘I believe Johnny’s attorneys succeeded in getting the jury to overlook the key issue of Freedom of Speech and ignore evidence that was so conclusive that we won in the UK. I’m sad I lost this case.
‘But I am sadder still that I seem to have lost a right I thought I had as an American – to speak freely and openly.’
Earlier on Wednesday, Depp was spotted in The Bridge Tavern on Newcastle’s Quayside just hours before it was announced he won his high profile defamation case.
He was joined by singer Sam, 28, and Jeff Beck as they enjoyed drinks in the beer garden, before Depp was later sighted in Newcastle’s Jam Jar bar.
The actor was awarded more than $10million after winning his defamation trial, vindicating his stance that his ex-wife Heard fabricated claims that she was abused by the Hollywood star before and during their brief marriage.
Celebrations: Depp chose not to hear the verdict in person, which was announced at the Fairfax County Circuit Courthouse in Fairfax, Virginia on Wednesday, instead he went out for drinks with Jeff Beck and Sam Fender at The Bridge Tavern pub
Guest: During his time in England, Depp made a surprise appearance at Folly Wildlife Rescue in Kent where he was pictured cuddling an orphaned badger
And Depp appeared to be in a celebratory mood as he enjoyed a night out on Tyneside after the conclusion to the high-profile, months-long trial.
Depp, who was joined by Beck — who he spent three nights performing with, was spotted wearing blue sunglasses and a cap, with a brown jacket and green trousers.
A punter was heard shouting ‘love you Johnny’ and he was later seen in a video posted to Instagram, in the same outfit, signing a statement and eager fans took to Twitter to share their amazement after spotting the group at the pub.
‘For anyone interested… Johnny Depp and Sam Fender [have] just been seen in The Bridge Tavern pub on Newcastle Quayside,’ one user said, paired with a video that showed Depp waving and shaking hands of fans as he exits the pub’s garden.
‘Met Johnny Depp in Bridge Tavern Newcastle just now… that was quite surreal,’ another wrote, attaching a photo of him walking down some stairs at the pub.
After less than three days of deliberation, his ex-wife Heard was awarded $2million in compensatory damages out of the $100million she was seeking in her countersuit against her ex-husband. She was awarded zero dollars in punitive damages.
Trial: As the high-profile case came to a close on Wednesday, Depp won the trial and was awarded more than $10million (pictured on Friday)
Result: Amber Heard, who was married to Johnny Depp from 2015 until 2017, admitted she was ‘heartbroken’ as she spoke after the verdict
Buoyed by fevered support on social media and in the courtroom, Depp believes he now has a ‘golden opportunity’ to press reset on his career.
Later this year he plans to release an album with Beck written by the two men at Jeff’s home in Sussex where Depp has been spending months at a time. He will also start making art house films.
Depp has stayed largely silent since the verdict in the UK court, but told journalist Jason Solomons: ‘This is the golden opportunity to do exactly what I’ve wanted to do for years, which is make the films or the cinema that I want, to stay away from limitations, not allow for any unintended fingers to get into the pie, which is to say, do films that don’t need to be $300million films.’
Damages: After less than three days of deliberation, his ex-wife Heard was awarded $2million in compensatory damages out of the $100million she was seeking in her countersuit against her ex-husband
His new career will see him starting from almost zero financially. In court in the UK in 2020, it was revealed that he had earned up to £400million across his career.
It was apparently spent on property, drugs, drink and whims such as firing the ashes of his hero, the writer Hunter S Thompson into space, which cost him £4million.
He now hopes to pick up the threads of his film career, which hit the buffers after he lost his London libel action and agreed to withdraw from the Harry Potter spin-off Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore.
Despite the jury awarding him $15million, the judge reduced the $5million punitive damages award to the Virginia maximum of $350,000, reducing his total to $10,350,000 – minus the $2million he was ordered to pay Heard. In total, he walks away with $8.35million in damages.
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