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UK Judge Rules Against Johnny Depp In His Libel Case Against Tabloid Alleging Domestic Violence

LONDON (CBS NEWS) — Hollywood star Johnny Depp on Monday lost his libel lawsuit against British newspaper The Sun for branding him a "wife-beater" in a case that laid bare his chaotic lifestyle.

Final Day Of Johnny Depp Libel Trial
Johnny Depp leaves the Royal Courts of Justice, Strand on July 28, 2020 in London, England. The Hollywood Actor is suing News Group Newspapers (NGN) and the Sun's executive editor, Dan Wootton, over an article published in 2018 that referred to him as a "wife beater" during his marriage to actor Amber Heard. (Photo by Samir Hussein/WireImage)

High Court Judge Andrew Nicol dismissed the 57-year-old's claim saying the newspaper group's article had been proven to be "substantially true," adding: "the claimant has not succeeded in his action for libel."

The "Pirates of the Caribbean" actor sued the tabloid's publisher News Group Newspapers (NGN) and the author of the article over claims he was violent to ex-wife Amber Heard during their volatile two-year marriage.

Three weeks of rancorous testimony at the case dubbed "the biggest English libel trial of the 21st century" included claims of drug abuse and domestic violence.

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