Actor Johnny Depp said on Friday that he has been asked to resign from the Fantastic Beasts movie franchise after losing a libel case in Britain against a tabloid that called him a “wife beater.”
In a statement he shared on Instagram, Depp said that Warner Bros movie studio had asked him to leave his role as villain Gellert Grindelwald. “I have respected and agreed to that request,” he said.
Depp thanked all those who have supported him so far and added that the court judgment will not change his fight to tell the truth. Depp had sued News Group Newspapers, publisher of The Sun, and its executive editor, Dan Wootton, over an article accusing him of assaulting his ex-wife Amber Heard.
He added: “My resolve remains strong and I intend to prove that the allegations against me are false. My life and career will not be defined by this moment in time.”
Warner Bros. confirmed Depp’s departure and said the role will be recast. The third Fantastic Beasts film is currently in production.
