Paul Bettany Says He and Johnny Depp ‘Hadn’t Spoken’ in Years When Their Texts Were Read During Libel Trial: ‘I Was Being Painted As This Close Friend’

Paul Bettany says he had not spoken to Johnny Depp for years when their private texts were read in court during Depp’s libel case against The Sun. Bettany said he felt the coverage portrayed him as a close friend, which he found odd, and chose not to comment publicly.

The messages, exchanged in 2013, included violent remarks about Amber Heard and were read at a 2020 hearing. Depp had sued the publisher over an article describing him as a “wife beater”; Judge Andrew Nicol ruled against him. Bettany and Depp had worked together on several films, including The Tourist and Mortdecai.