ladbible logo

To make sure you never miss out on your favourite NEW stories, we're happy to send you some reminders

Click 'OK' then 'Allow' to enable notifications

Paul Bettany Describes 'Unpleasant Feeling' When His Texts To Johnny Depp Were Read Out In Court

Paul Bettany Describes 'Unpleasant Feeling' When His Texts To Johnny Depp Were Read Out In Court

In the graphic texts, the pair discussed drowning Amber Heard to prove she wasn't a witch

WandaVision actor Paul Bettany says it was ‘an unpleasant feeling’ when texts he sent to Johnny Depp were read out in court during the latter’s libel case against The Sun.

The Pirates of the Caribbean star sued the newspaper after they described him as a ‘wife beater’ in his relationship with Amber Heard.

A 2013 exchange between Bettany and Depp was read out during the hearing. The pair joked about drowning Heard to prove she wasn’t a witch.

When asked about the texts coming to light in a recent interview with The Independent, Bettany gave a cautious reply.

He said: “I think that’s a really difficult subject to talk about. And I think that I just pour fuel on the fire.

“It was very strange. It was a strange moment. What was strange about it was you suddenly have one of the most scabrous newspapers in London and their lawyers pouring through your texts for the last 10 years.

Alamy

"Can you imagine what it would be like, honestly, to have a bunch of lawyers go through every one of your emails and texts for 10 years?

“All I can tell you was that it was an unpleasant feeling.”

Bettany and Depp, who have worked together on three films, are said to have started their conversation by laughing about burning Heard.

“Having thought about it, I don’t think we should burn Amber,” Bettany texted Depp. “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? You have a swimming pool."

"Let's drown her before we burn her!!!” Depp replied. “I will f*** her burnt corpse afterwards to make sure she's dead.”

When the texts were read out, 58-year-old Depp said his ‘sense of humour is slightly skewed’.

Depp ended up losing his lawsuit against The Sun, with the judge ruling that he assaulted Heard on a dozen occasions and put her in ‘fear of her life’ three times.

Alamy

A new $50 million defamation lawsuit has been filed by Depp against his ex-wife after she wrote an article for The Washington Post in 2018, in which she described how she was a victim of domestic violence.

She wrote: "I became a public figure representing domestic abuse. And I felt the full force of our culture's wrath for women who speak out.”

Depp claims that although he’s not named in the article, Heard implied that he was her abuser, an accusation that’s damaged his reputation.

Depp's suit reads: “Ms. Heard is not a victim of domestic abuse; she is a perpetrator.

"She hit, punched and kicked me. She also repeatedly and frequently threw objects into my body and head, including heavy bottles, soda cans, burning candles, television remote controls and paint thinner cans, which severely injured me."

Featured Image Credit: Alamy