British actor Paul Bettany, known for his Marvel films, said that he was mistakenly considered a close friend of Hollywood star Johnny Depp during the high-profile legal proceedings involving his ex-wife Amber Heard. According to the actor, they had not been in contact for several years at the time. Entertainment Weekly reports this, citing Bettany's interview with The Times, writes UNN.
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Bettany said that his name unexpectedly became embroiled in the scandal after private correspondence with Depp was made public. The messages contained harsh and offensive remarks about Amber Heard.
The actor stressed that the public had been given a false impression of their relationship. According to him, although they had been friends in the past, their communication had long since ceased by the time of the legal proceedings.
Private correspondence became part of a high-profile legal scandal
Bettany and Depp's messages became public during the legal proceedings involving the British tabloid The Sun, and later once again attracted attention during the 2022 trial between Depp and Heard.
Bettany explained that he had not commented publicly on the situation because he leads a fairly private life and hoped that the scandal would eventually die down.
At the same time, during the hearings, Depp himself referred to Bettany as a close friend. The British actor has now disputed that characterization of their relationship at the time.
Depp and Bettany had previously appeared together in the films "The Tourist," "Transcendence," and "Mortdecai." Bettany's new statements have once again drawn attention to one of the most high-profile Hollywood legal conflicts of recent years.