Actress and MeToo campaigner Katherine Kendall says Britain’s Sun newspaper had deliberately misused her quotes in an article which labelled Hollywood star Johnny Depp a “wife beater”.
Depp, 57, is suing the publisher of that newspaper for libel over the article, saying he had never struck his ex-wife Amber Heard, and it was Heard that hit him during their volatile relationship.
The paper argues its story is true and its lawyers have told London’s High Court that Heard accuses her ex-husband of attacking her on at least 14 occasions between 2013 and 2016 when he was enraged after drinking or taking drugs.
Kendall was quoted in the Sun’s original article as saying: “I don’t stand behind hitting people or abusing people. It seems that Amber got hurt.”
But Kendall said in a written statement to the court she had been misquoted by the tabloid.
She said she had texted the Sun reporter after the article was printed and told her: “It seems that the whole article was about defaming him.”
The Sun article had mentioned Kendall’s advocacy for the MeToo movement against sexual harassment and assault, and her accusations that disgraced movie producer Harvey Weinstein sexually harassed her.
“Although it was true that I was a victim of Harvey Weinstein, the rest was a lie,” she said in her witness statement.
“I was not ‘going public’, on behalf of MeToo or myself, to criticise JK Rowling’s decision to cast Mr Depp, nor did I accuse Mr Depp of hurting Amber Heard, about which I have no first-hand knowledge.”
Kendall, who appeared by video link from Los Angeles, was not questioned about her statement.
She was the last witness called as part of Depp’s case which has spanned nine days.
Heard is due to start giving evidence on Monday when the paper begins its defence.
-with agencies
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