Paul Bettany has distanced himself from Johnny Depp after text messages between the two were shared during a 2020 libel case between Depp and Amber Heard.
Johnny Depp sued The Sun for libel in 2020 over a column that referred to the actor as a “wife beater”. During the trial, which Depp eventually lost, a series of texts between Bettany and Depp were read aloud. The messages saw the pair, who have starred in three films together, joke about “drowning” Depp’s ex-wife Amber Heard to prove she wasn’t a witch.
In a new interview with The Times, Bettany said that during the trial he was “being painted as this close friend of a guy I hadn’t spoken to in years and, honestly, amid all the shit two celebrities threw at each other, that bit was the most odd.”
“I hadn’t spoken to Johnny in years when that happened, and I haven’t spoken to him since,” he added. He went on to say that he didn’t say anything at the time because everyone around him thought it was “probably a nothing burger”.
They weren’t close friends, according to Paul Bettany…
Meanwhile, his children called Johnny Depp “Uncle Fun” & he & his family were invited to stay on Johnny’s island.
Paul Bettany is a coward who turned his back on a close friend. pic.twitter.com/OTT3YQ6pCq
— Heidi Stewart (@TheHeidiPie) October 18, 2026
The text messages in question were sent in 2013. One of them from Bettany read: “I’m not sure we should burn Amber. She is delightful company and pleasing on the eye. We could of course do the English course of action and perform a drowning test. Thoughts? You have a swimming pool?”
“Let’s drown her before we burn her! I will fuck her burnt corpse afterwards to make sure she’s dead,” replied Depp.
Speaking about the case to the Independent in 2022, Bettany said it was “a really difficult subject” to talk about. “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.”
Depp lost the libel case after Judge Mr Justice Nicol said that he found the words “wife beater” to be “substantially true” in connection to domestic abuse allegations by Amber Heard.
For help, advice or more information regarding sexual harassment, assault and rape in the UK, visit the Rape Crisis charity website. In the US, visit RAINN.
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