Warner Bros has severed all ties with “Fantastic Beasts” actor Johnny Depp following allegations of being an abusive spouse.
News of Johnny Depp’s involvement in a domestic violence charge flooded the media in 2016 following the actor’s divorce from his ex-wife, Amber Heard.
The allegations became more intense after his ex-wife’s publication in The Washington Post in December 2018 which presumably dwelled on their abusive marriage.
Although Depp denied the claims and responded to the article by suing Heard for defamation, a news outlet, The Sun went ahead to tag him as a “Wife beater” in an article published that year.
The headlines caused an uproar online, giving more life to the existing abuse claims against him. As a result, the actor filed a defamation lawsuit against the newspaper company. In a recent development, however, Depp disclosed that Warner Bros had terminated his contract over the disputed “Wife beater” headline. He shared:
“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.”
Depp revealed this via an Instagram post, which began with a note of thanks to everyone for their support and loyalty. He also confirmed his intention to appeal the “surreal” judgment of the U.K court, referring to the court’s dismissal of his defamation claims against News Group Newspapers, the company responsible for The Sun.
The “Pirates Of The Caribbean” star, who filed the libel lawsuit in 2019, lost his claim following the court’s ruling on November 2. The court further stated that most of the assault allegations against him had viable proof to the civil standard.
Depp was not one to watch one setback define his life and career
Warner Bros’ decision to terminate Depp’s contract resulted from the court’s final rulings. Despite their resolve to pull him out of “Fantastic Beasts 3” and recast his role, the studio agreed to pay the icon the full amount agreed on the contract.
However, Depp is not one to watch one setback define his life and career. Via his Instagram post, he divulged his intention not to relent until he proved his innocence. He noted:
“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.”
This is not the first time the abuse allegations have threatened Johnny Depp’s career and his contract with Warner Bros.
In 2017, many raised concerns over the studio’s decision to continue working with Depp despite the domestic violence claims involving Heard.
However, the production company maintained that Depp was a valued cast, and they were happy to stick with the original casting. He went on to star in the second part of the movie franchise, “Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes Of Grindelwald.”
It seems years of pressure got to the studio, as they eventually conceded to pulling Depp off the cast list over the “Wife beater” claims.