Johnny Depp has lost his bid to overturn a High Court ruling that he assaulted his ex-wife Amber Heard.
Last year, the actor launched a three-week libel case against the publisher of The Sun newspaper over a 2018 article calling him a "wife beater."
London's High Court ruled The Sun's report on the allegations to be "substantially true". Judge Andrew Nicol ruled that Depp had been violent toward Heard on at least 12 occasions, and rejected Depp's claim that Heard's allegations were "a choreographed hoax."
Johnny Depp sought permission to appeal the ruling and seek a retrial, with his legal team hoping to present new evidence that they claimed undermined Heard's claims.
Announcing the ruling at the Royal Courts of Justice in London, Lord Justice Underhill said: "We refuse Mr Depp's application to admit further evidence in support of his proposed appeal and we conclude that the appeal has no real prospect of success and that there is no other compelling reason for it to be heard.
"We accordingly refuse permission to appeal."
The Court of Appeal judges James Dingemans and Richard Arnold stated: “The hearing before [Nicol] was full and fair, and he gave thorough reasons for his conclusions which have not been shown even arguably to be vitiated by any error of approach or mistake of law.”
According to Johnny Depp’s lawyer, Andrew Caldecott, Heard told a "calculated and manipulative lie" regarding her pledge to donate her $7 million divorce settlement to charity, alleging that the money has not been paid.
The Sun defended Heard and released a statement responding to today's announcement reading: "The Sun had every confidence that this leave to appeal application would not be granted and are pleased with today's decision.
"The case had a full, fair and proper hearing, and today's decision vindicates the courageous evidence that Amber Heard gave to the court about domestic abuse, despite repeated attempts to undermine and silence her by the perpetrator."
