Johnny Depp did abuse wife, says High Court judge

Johnny Depp and Amber Heard attended the trial in London in July

A High Court judge has ruled that actor Johnny Depp subjected his ex-wife to domestic abuse on twelve occasions.

The verdict comes after the actor took a newspaper to court because it published a story saying he had hit his wife, Amber Heard. The couple divorced in 2017.

Depp denied he assaulted his wife and accused the newspaper of committing libel against him - that is a legal term for when someone publishes something untrue that may make people think badly of the person in question.

However, the judge found the claims in the Sun newspaper were "substantially true".

Johnny Depp's lawyers - people Depp has employed to talk to the court for him - have said they will appeal this decision. This means they will ask a more powerful court to check the decision as they think it is incorrect.

What is domestic abuse?

Domestic violence or domestic abuse is when one adult is violent or aggressive towards another adult in the same family, or someone they're going out with, or have been out with.

It doesn't have to be physically hurting someone; it can be verbally bullying them, controlling what they spend their money on, or deciding who they speak to, and which friends they go out with.

The law says that any incident of threatening behaviour, violence or abuse between adults who are family members or have been in a relationship counts as domestic violence.

The actor is best known for playing Captain Jack Sparrow in the Pirates of the Caribbean films

Who is Johnny Depp?

Johnny Depp is a huge movie star. At one point he was thought to be the highest-paid actor in Hollywood. His biggest role was undoubtedly Captain Jack Sparrow, the main character in the Pirates of the Caribbean series. Depp stars in all five films.

He is currently filming the next instalment of J K Rowling's Harry Potter-linked film series, Fantastic Beasts, and has also starred in films like Alice in Wonderland and Alice through the Looking Glass.

Questions have been raised about the effect this decision could have on Depp's career. Film industry experts think audiences may not want to see films starring Depp, or that the people who make films won't want to put him in their films. Ian Youngs, who reports on film news for the BBC, said the ruling had "done huge damage to Johnny Depp's reputation and career."

Jason Momoa and Amber Heard star in Aquaman

Who is Amber Heard?

Amber Heard is another film star. She starred as Mera in the first Aquaman film, which took more than $1 billion (around £900m) at cinemas around the world. Heard is expected to star in the sequel, and play Mera in a Justice League TV series, alongside Batman, Superman and Wonder Woman!

At the end of the trial in July, Heard said the case had been "incredibly painful" and that she just wants to "move on with her life".

Charity Women's Aid praised the actress. It said everyone who experiences domestic abuse "deserves to be listened to and believed".

"This also applies to survivors who do not fit the image of the 'perfect' victim - and regardless of the high profile of the alleged abuser. There is no excuse for domestic abuse."

The High Court in London

What does the ruling mean?

The case at the High Court was what is know as a civil case, which means it is a case between two people or organisations - Johnny Depp and the owners of the newspaper. This means no one faces going to prison as a result of the decision.

The aim of the trial was to decide if the newspaper had told the truth or not, not whether Johnny Depp had broken the law. The trial was heard by a judge, not a jury.

One of Johnny Depp's lawyers said after the decision, "it would be ridiculous for Mr Depp not to appeal this decision," so this verdict is probably the beginning of another legal process.

If you need advice or someone to talk to about any of the issues in this story, or for anything worrying you, you can contact Childline.

0800 1111 (calls are confidential and free).