Johnny Depp Said He Wanted Amber Heard Replaced In Aquaman

Johnny Depp sent a text to his sister stating that he wanted ex-wife Amber Heard to be replaced in Aquaman.

The message was disclosed in Justice Andrew Nicol's 132-page ruling against Depp in his libel lawsuit against The Sun, which he lost last month.

Warner Bros. Pictures

The text sent to his sister - a producer who had previously worked with Warner Brothers - read: "I want her replaced on the WB film."

Depp confirmed this was in reference to Aquaman, but denied orchestrating a petition to get her removed from the film.

A petition set up by fans to have Heard removed from the sequel has passed 1.7 million signatures.

Heard is 'excited' to get to work on the film though, and said such petitions have no bearing on casting decisions.

Speaking to Entertainment Weekly, the 34-year-old said: "I'm super excited about the amount of fan love and the amount of fan appreciation that Aquaman has acquired and that it has garnered so much excitement for Aquaman and Mera that it means we'll be coming back. I'm so excited to film that.

"Paid rumours and paid campaigns on social media don't dictate [casting decisions] because they have no basis in reality.

"Only the fans actually made Aquaman and Aquaman 2 happen. I'm excited to get started next year."

The libel case last month centred on whether an article published in The Sun, in which Depp was called a 'wife beater', was libellous.

PA

Depp argued the case had been aggravated by his name being included alongside that of convicted sex offender Harvey Weinstein, as well as the fact The Sun retained the article on its website.

The truth of the matter was decided on the balance of probabilities, a lower standard than required in a criminal case.

Depp has since applied to the Court of Appeal in an attempt to overturn the ruling.

In a post on Instagram, the 57-year-old said: "Firstly, I'd like to thank everyone who gifted me their support and loyalty.

"Secondly, I wish to let you know that I have been asked to resign by Warner Bros. from my role as Grindelwald in Fantastic Beasts and I have respected and agreed to that request.

"Finally, I wish to say this. The surreal judgement of the court in the UK will not change my fight to tell the truth and I confirm that I plan to appeal.

"My resolve remains strong and I intend to prove that the allegations against me are false.

"My life and career will not be defined by this moment in time."

Topics: johnny depp, Celebrity, Aquaman, US Entertainment

Jake Massey

Jake Massey is a journalist at LADbible. He graduated from Newcastle University, where he learnt a bit about media and a lot about living without heating. After spending a few years in Australia and New Zealand, Jake secured a role at an obscure radio station in Norwich, inadvertently becoming a real-life Alan Partridge in the process. From there, Jake became a reporter at the Eastern Daily Press. Jake enjoys playing football, listening to music and writing about himself in the third person.

@jakesmassey