Johnny Depp was spotted in a Newcastle pub by startled by fans, moments before the verdict on his high profile case with ex Amber Heard was due to be delivered.
There was already a lot of fuss surrounding the movie megastar on Wednesday after it was confirmed that he was due to join Jeff Beck on stage at Sage Gateshead on Thursday night. But nobody sat having an early Bank Holiday beverage in The Bridge expected to see him there.
As soon as the first pictures and videos of Johnny being in The Bridge circulated online, Twitter went crazy, with one onlooker saying that North Shields Brit winner Sam Fender was with him. One of the lucky ones who actually got to meet Johnny in a fleeting moment he'll never forget was Gary Spedding, who also shot the picture above which caused a real stir on Twitter.
READ MORE: Johnny Depp set to perform in Gateshead with Jeff Beck
After his encounter with the A-lister, he told ChronicleLive: "I shook his hand, wished him luck with the case and that people everywhere are backing him. He said thank you very much, was really gracious and kind."
Gary added: "It means a lot to have met him an hour before the verdict in his trial - he deserves a break from everything and I'm thrilled he's chosen to be in the town."
Just after 8.20pm GMT the verdict from the trial in a courtroom in Fairfax, Virginia, came in, with the jury finding that Amber Heard defamed ex-husband Johnny in a 2018 Washington Post article in which she wrote about being “a public figure representing domestic abuse”.
The verdict prompted shouts of "Johnny, Johnny!" from fans outside, with the Pirates of the Caribbean actor getting $10m (£8m) in compensatory damages and $5m in punitive damages.
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