Johnny Depp lost his high-stakes libel case Monday against the Sun tabloid newspaper for labeling him a "wife beater," as a British judge said he believed the actor had abused his ex-wife and that she frequently feared for her life.
In a decision that has been cheered by campaigners against domestic abuse, Justice Andrew Nicol said the defendants had proved during the trial in London that their allegations against Depp were "substantially true." Depp's lawyers said they would appeal the decision.
Over the course of nearly three weeks this summer, Nicol had heard lurid — and irreconcilable — accounts from Depp and his ex-wife Amber Heard, 24, in which each accused the other of abuse.
A lawyer for Depp, 57, described the decision as "flawed" and "perverse as it is bewildering."
An attorney for Heard, meanwhile, said the verdict was "not a surprise" for anyone who followed the trial. The Sun called the decision a "stunning victory for press freedom."
Prince William had COVID-19 in April
Britain's Prince William tested positive for COVID-19 in April, around the same time as his father Prince Charles, BBC reported. The report cited unidentified palace sources and the Sun newspaper, which said William kept his telephone and video engagements without revealing his diagnosis because he didn't want to worry anyone. Kensington Palace declined to comment but did not deny the report.
Fatal shooting: The actor Eddie Hassell, known for his roles in the NBC show "Surface" and the 2010 film "The Kids Are All Right," was fatally shot in Texas, police said. He was 30. The shooting happened early Sunday in the Dallas suburb of Grand Prairie, police said. Hassell was taken to a hospital where he was pronounced dead, police said. A representative said the shooting appeared to be connected to a carjacking.
farewell: Nikki McKibbin, a singer from Texas best known for her third place finish in the first season of American Idol, has died. She was 42. McKibbin's husband, Craig Sadler, said she died after suffering a brain aneurysm on Wednesday and was taken off life support early Sunday. McKibbin appeared on American Idol in 2002, when the show started. A 23-year-old from Grand Prairie, Texas, impressed the judges with soulful performances of songs by Janis Joplin, Stevie Nicks and Alanna Myles. She finished third on the show that year, behind Justin Guarini and Kelly Clarkson, who won the competition.
