Paul Bettany addresses his graphic texts in Depp-Heard trial: ‘I was being painted as this close friend of a guy I hadn’t spoken to in years’
The internet never forgets.
Paul Bettany is speaking out again about the private text messages he exchanged with Johnny Depp that surfaced during legal proceedings of the much publicized Depp-Heard trial. According to PEOPLE, Bettany addressed the situation while promoting his new series VisionQuest on Disney+. He expressed frustration over how he was perceived during the public fallout.
Bettany and Depp’s texts were first made public during a 2020 libel case. Depp sued the publisher of The Sun after they labeled him a wife beater. The court ruled in favor of the newspaper after it found the claim to be substantially true.
Bettany, 55, discussed the ordeal in a recent interview with The Times. He addressed the public narrative that painted him as a close confidant of Depp. He clarified his actual relationship status with the actor at the time. “I hadn’t spoken to Depp in years when that happened and I haven’t spoken to him since,” Bettany said. “I was being painted as this close friend of a guy I hadn’t spoken to in years and, honestly, amid all the s— two celebrities threw at each other, that bit was the most odd.”
Bettany and Depp appeared in three movies together between 2010 and 2015
These projects included The Tourist, Transcendence, and Mortdecai. The two seemed to have developed a friendship during those years. However, Bettany maintains that he was not involved in the personal life of Depp during his marriage to Amber Heard. The couple was married between 2015 and 2016. Their legal battles began in 2018 after Amber wrote an op-ed for The Washington Post.
The text messages between Depp and Bettany from 2013 were highly graphic. Depp wrote, “Lets burn Amber.” Bettany replied, “Having thought it through I don’t think we should burn Amber- she’s delightful company and easy on the eye, plus I’m not sure she’s a witch. We could of course try the English course of action in these predicaments- we do a drowning test. Thoughts? N.B I have a pool.”
Depp responded, “Let’s drown her before we burn her!!! I will f— her burnt corpse afterwards to make sure she is dead…” Bettany replied, “My thoughts entirely! Lets be CERTAIN before we pronounce her a witch.”
Depp had said that the messages were not intended to be taken literally
Depp testified during the 2022 trial that these messages were references to the British sketch comedy troupe Monty Python. He stated they were not intended to be taken literally. Bettany previously described the experience of having his private messages read in court as embarrassing.
In a 2022 interview, he noted that he did not know Depp when he was married to Amber. He stated that he chose to remain silent during the height of the media frenzy. “So I decided to say nothing because, I think, people know me,” Bettany told the press. “I’ve been married 23 years and, for what I do, I live an incredibly quiet life. Everybody kind of thought this is probably a nothing burger — and left it alone.”
Bettany previously defended Depp on X in 2016. He called Depp the sweetest, kindest, and gentlest man he had ever known. He also urged people to let the facts come out before rushing to judgment. Bettany has since deleted his X account.
Bettany’s recent comments have received significant criticism online
Many observers argue that his lack of current friendship does not change the nature of the 2013 messages. Some people on social media have expressed that the content of the texts remains problematic regardless of how close they were at the time of the trial.
According to Buzzfeed, one user wrote that the texts suggest he was comfortable joking about brutalizing women. Another person noted that they would be more inclined to believe his defense if he had not publicly defended Depp after the initial abuse allegations. Critics argue that he should simply apologize for the nature of the conversation.
The 2022 defamation trial concluded with a victory for Depp. The jury awarded him $15 million in damages. Amber won one of three counts in her countersuit and received $2 million. The former couple reached a settlement in December 2022. Amber paid Depp $1 million in June 2023. A source close to Depp stated at the time that the actor would donate a portion of that payment to five charities.
Have a tip we should know? [email protected]
Follow The Mary Sue:
