Johnny Depp, the Hollywood actor, has lost a high-stakes libel case against the Sun in London courts after the publication referred to him as a “wife beater.”

Mr. Depp, 57, filed a lawsuit against the newspaper after it alleged he attacked his ex-wife Amber Heard, which he denies. According to The Sun, the article was correct.

In April 2018, the Hollywood actor filed a lawsuit against executive editor Dan Wootton for a piece headlined “Gone Potty: How can JK Rowling be ‘genuinely happy’ casting wife beater Johnny Depp in the new Fantastic Beasts film?”

The newspaper has claimed in court that calling Depp a “wife beater” was “entirely accurate and true,” and Heard has been testifying on its side this week. (Unlike in the United States, the burden of evidence in such instances is on the publisher under English law.)

The judge said, “I have found that the great majority of alleged assaults of Ms Heard by Mr Depp have been proved to the civil standard.”

He also found that Depp had beaten Ms Heard 12 times out of 14 occasions, beginning in 2013 when he smacked the actress after she made a remark about his tattoo.

During the hearing, the court was informed about Depp’s heavy use of alcohol and drugs, read messages in which he referred to his ex-wife as a “witch” and proposed burning her, and saw videos of him striking and smashing kitchen cabinets.

He left the actress “fearing for her life” after a series of violent outbursts in which Ms Heard was strangled, thrown to the ground, and repeatedly beaten.

The judge also said that he recognized Heard’s testimony that the accusations she leveled against Depp “have had a negative effect on her career as an actor and activist.”

“I have reached these conclusions having examined in detail the 14 incidents on which the defendants rely as well as the overarching considerations which the claimant submitted I should take into account. In those circumstances, parliament has said that a defendant has a complete defence.”

Depp had called the Aquaman star’s accusations a “hoax” and accused her of assaulting him as he spoke in court for more than 20 hours.

The trial was held in the Royal Courts of Justice in London for 16 days in July.

Every morning, throngs of fans gathered outside the High Court to witness the former couple’s tumultuous relationship.

Following the decision, The Sun’s spokesperson said: “The Sun has stood up and campaigned for the victims of domestic abuse for over 20 years.

“Domestic abuse victims must never be silenced and we thank the judge for his careful consideration and thank Amber Heard for her courage in giving evidence to the court.”

Wootton praised Heard for her “bravery” in an Instagram message, saying: “Thank you for giving traumatic evidence in the face of the most toxic and unfair abuse of your character. Thank you for being prepared to take on the Hollywood machine.

“This landmark court victory is for you and all the other victims of domestic abuse.”

Elaine Charlson Bredehoft, Ms Heard’s lawyer in the United States, said the verdict came as “not a surprise”

“Very soon, we will be presenting even more voluminous evidence in the US,” she added.

Depp’s attorneys claimed that due to a variety of circumstances, including his appearance in the article alongside notorious producer Harvey Weinstein, “only a very substantial award” would compensate and vindicate him.

Alleged events include a private flight from Boston to Los Angeles on which Depp allegedly hit and kicked Heard before falling out in the bathroom; a brawl nicknamed “disco bloodbath” and a “three-day hostage situation” in Australia, according to Heard.

Nicol concluded by citing an email written by Depp in August 2016 as evidence of the actor’s real emotions for Heard. “I have no mercy, no fear and not an ounce of emotion or what I once thought was love for this gold digging, low level, dime a dozen, mushy, pointless dangling overused flappy fish market … I can only hope that karma kicks in and takes the gift of breath from her … Sorry man … But NOW I will stop at nothing!!!”

Although Depp’s attorneys have stated that he intends to appeal, it may be difficult for them to overturn the trial judge’s conclusions of fact. The judge’s decisions on those issues are essentially equivalent to a jury judgment in a crown court. Appeals are often based on legal issues.

Jenny Afia of the legal firm Schillings, who represented Mr Depp, said in a statement that the actor planned to appeal the decision.

“This decision is as perverse as it is bewildering,” she added.

“Most troubling is the judge’s reliance on the testimony of Amber Heard, and corresponding disregard of the mountain of counter-evidence from police officers, medical practitioners, her own former assistant, other unchallenged witnesses and an array of documentary evidence which completely undermined the allegations, point by point.

“All of this was overlooked. The judgment is so flawed that it would be ridiculous for Mr Depp not to appeal this decision.

“In the meantime, we hope that in contrast to this case, the ongoing libel proceedings in America are equitable, with both parties providing full disclosure rather than one side strategically cherry picking what evidence can and cannot be relied upon.”