Paul Bettany Says He Hadn't Spoken to Johnny Depp in Years Before Trial

Actor Paul Bettany has clarified in recent interviews that he had not spoken to Johnny Depp for years before or after their private text messages were made public during Depp's 2020 libel trial against The Sun. The texts, exchanged in 2013, included violent jokes about Depp's ex-wife Amber Heard and were presented as evidence when the newspaper was sued by Depp over an article calling him a "wife beater." Judge Andrew Nicol ruled against Depp in 2020, finding the article "substantially true."

Bettany expressed frustration at being portrayed as a close friend of Depp during the legal proceedings, despite their years of non-communication. "I hadn't spoken to Johnny in years when that happened and I haven't spoken to him since. I was being painted as this close friend of a guy I hadn't spoken to in years," Bettany told The Times. He explained that the period was "the most odd" aspect of the public dispute between the two celebrities. Bettany noted that he did not know Depp during his marriage to Heard and had lost touch with him well before the legal battles began.

The two actors had previously collaborated on three films: "The Tourist" (2010), "Transcendence" (2014), and "Mortdecai" (2015). Bettany chose not to publicly comment at the time of the 2020 trial, stating he preferred to maintain his private life. "I decided to say nothing because, I think, people know me. I've been married 23 years and, for what I do, I live an incredibly quiet life," he said. He also mentioned that having his private messages from a ten-year period scrutinized by lawyers was "an unpleasant feeling."

The text exchange between Bettany and Depp involved dark humor about Heard. When Depp wrote "Let's burn Amber," Bettany responded with a joking reference to drowning tests and witchcraft. Depp's replies escalated to graphic violent language. Depp later characterized the exchange as "dark humor" inspired by Monty Python and described it as "heat of the moment" embarrassment. Bettany testified during Depp's 2022 defamation trial against Heard, which the jury largely decided in Depp's favor, though the parties later settled after Heard appealed.