THE DOWNFALL OF DEPP

Ten years ago Johnny Depp was riding high on his Hollywood success. On the eve of the release of Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides in 2011 – the actor’s fourth turn as Captain Jack Sparrow in the franchise – Depp was not only one of the highest-paid stars in the business but was also revered and respected by many of his peers.

“We are a f--king crime scene right now”
– DEPP

Now, almost a decade later, the 57-year-old is mired in a divorce, drugs and legal hell, with the UK High Court last week finding his description of Depp as a “wife beater” was substantially valid. “I have found that the great majority of alleged assaults of Ms Heard by Mr Depp have been proved to the civil standard,” Justice Andrew Nicol wrote at the conclusion of the high-profile trial. “The claimant has failed in his action for libel.”