Singer Sam Fender has apologised on social media after he shared a picture of himself and Johnny Depp in which he described the actor as a 'hero'. Sam had gone drinking with fellow musician Jeff Beck and actor Depp in Newcastle city centre last week.
Pirates of the Caribbean actor Depp was in the North-East on Wednesday (June 1) to support Beck at the Sage in Gateshead. And Sam took to Instagram to share with his followers that he had been having a drink with Depp, just as the verdict in his six-week defamation trial in the US against ex-wife Amber Heard came through, Chronicle Live reports.
In the post, which has since appeared to have been deleted, Fender wrote: "Some serious heroes," tagging Beck and Depp in the photo of the group enjoying a social in the beer garden of the boozer. It was then announced later the very same night that Depp had won his US trial.
The post sparked outrage from people across the country, who mentioned that Sam didn't consider those affected by the trial or similar cases. Fender has this morning (Saturday) issued an apology on his Instagram story.
He wrote: "I want to apologise. I was invited to briefly meet a musical legend and an actor who has been in almost every film I've watched growing up.
"I went - we chatted music and without thinking I took a photo and posted it as it was pretty surreal. Using the word 'heroes' was meant in reference to their careers, but in the contest of the trial was severely misinformed.
"I now realise that it was a poor choice of words and timing, but that's irrelevant. It was naïve and disrespectful to those who relate to any of the issues highlighted in the trial and the broader issues it poses. I didn't think it through and I should have."
"I can't really say anything other than that it was will judged and I was ignorant with regards to the trials as a whole, and thoughtless on what my post could imply. I realise this entirely, and for that I'm deeply sorry."
Amber Heard will “absolutely” be appealing the decision in the US defamation case brought against her by Johnny Depp, her lawyer has said. Elaine Bredehoft says the Aquaman star has “excellent grounds” for the appeal as there was “so much” evidence that was not included during the trial.
Mr Depp sued his former partner over a 2018 op-ed written in the Washington Post, which his lawyers said falsely accused him of being physically and sexually abusive toward her while they were together. Jurors at Fairfax County District Court, in Virginia, returned a verdict in favour of Mr Depp on Wednesday after the six-week long trial.
Speaking on US news programme Today, Ms Bredehoft was asked whether the actress would be appealing the verdict. “Absolutely, and she has some excellent grounds for it,” she said.
“We even tried to get the UK judgement in to dismiss his case because he already had his shot and that was one of the issues. But also a number of evidentiary issues, there was so much evidence that did not go in.”
Mr Depp had previously lost a similar trial in the UK which he brought against the publisher of The Sun newspaper after an article, also written in 2018, which referred to him as a “wife-beater”.
But following the verdict on Wednesday the actor was awarded compensatory damages of 10 million dollars (£8 million) and a further five million dollars (£4 million) in punitive damages. In a separate verdict, Ms Heard was awarded two million dollars (£1.6 million) in damages after her counterclaim against Mr Depp over comments made by his lawyer Adam Waldman, who allegedly referred to her abuse claims as a “hoax”, was found to be defamatory.
Asked if Ms Heard was able to pay the amount she now owed, Ms Bredehoft replied “oh no, absolutely not”. Following the verdict, the actress said she was “heartbroken” but “even more disappointed with what this verdict means for other women”.
Ms Heard said the verdict “sets back the clock” and added that Mr Depp’s attorneys had succeeded in getting jury members to “overlook” freedom of speech. “I’m sad I lost this case. But I am sadder still that I seem to have lost a right I thought I had as an American – to speak freely and openly,” she said, in a statement shared on social media.
