Hollywood star Johnny Depp has lost what has been dubbed “the libel trial of the century” after a High Court judge in London ruled that a report in The Sun that he was “a wife beater” who had assaulted his now ex-wife Amber Heard on 14 occasions during their turbulent relationship was “substantially true”.

Depp, 57, sued The Sun over a 2018 article with the headline: “Gone Potty: How can JK Rowling be ‘genuinely happy’ casting wife beater Johnny Depp in the new Fantastic Beasts film?”

Depp claimed the allegations had cost him his role as Captain Jack Sparrow in the Pirates of the Caribbean films.

However, Heard, 34, tearfully told the court of 14 occasions on which Depp had hit her since 2013. During the 16-day trial she provided intimate and graphic details of his drink and drugs-fuelled attacks.

He rejected all her accusations, saying it was his wife who had been violent towards him.

The couple met on the set of The Rum Diary in 2009, married in February 2015, with Depp filing for divorce in May 2016 after the marriage quickly turned stormy.

The trial captivated the world’s attention amid stunning details about Depp’s drink and drugs binges, his huge spending and fragile finances and the Hollywood A-list couple’s jet-set life and toxic relationship.

The court heard a series of astonishing claims:

Depp admitting to taking large amounts of cocaine, which he insisted “brought him to a normal level”, and drinking more than “normal” people could.

Heard was accused of defecating in their marital bed —the tabloids called this “poogate”.

Heard was accused of having an affair with Tesla billionaire Elon Musk, which she denied, and that Depp threatened to cut his penis off.

Depp lost a staggering $650 million he made at the height of his Pirates of the Caribbean fame and was left owing $100 million in taxes;

Depp admitted to spending $30,000 on red wine each month.

And Depp “attacked” Heard over three days in Australia while on a drugs and booze bender.

In the #MeToo climate, there must now be a big question over Depp’s career.

In his devastating ruling, Justice Nicol dismissed the actor’s libel action, saying the publisher had proved what was in the article to be “substantially true”.

The judge said: “The claimant has not succeeded in his action for libel.