Paul Bettany is on a quest to set the record straight about his friendship with Johnny Depp.
The VisionQuest star addressed their controversial text exchange joking about burning the Pirates of the Caribbean alum’s ex Amber Heard, which was made public during Depp’s legal battles.
The texts, originally sent between 2013 and 2014, were first brought to light during Depp’s unsuccessful libel case againstThe Sun in 2020, when he sued the U.K. tabloid for calling him a “wife beater” over Heard’s domestic violence accusations.
The texts were brought forth again during Depp’s 2022 defamation trial against Heard, who was ultimately found responsible for defaming her ex-husband in a Washington Post op-ed.
Describing Depp’s legal saga as an “interesting time,” Bettany told The Times in an interview published Oct. 15, “I hadn’t spoken to Johnny in years when that happened and I haven’t spoken to him since.”
“I was being painted as this close friend of a guy I hadn’t spoken to in years,” he continued, “and, honestly, amid all the s–t two celebrities threw at each other, that bit was the most odd.”
As for why the 55-year-old stayed quiet about the nature of his friendship with Depp?
“I decided to say nothing because, I think, people know me,” said Bettany, who met wifeJennifer Connelly on the set of 2001’s A Beautiful Mind. “I’ve been married 23 years and, for what I do, I live an incredibly quiet life. Everybody kind of thought this is probably a nothing burger—and left it alone.”
E! News has reached out to Depp’s rep for comment but hasn’t heard back.
Previously, Bettany described the unearthing of his and Depp’s texts as pouring “fuel on the fire” of the 63-year-old’s legal disputes.
“Can you imagine what it would be like, honestly, to have a bunch of lawyers go through every one of your emails and texts for 10 years?” he toldThe Independent in 2021. “All I can tell you was that it was an unpleasant feeling.”
During Depp’s defamation trial against Heard, he described Bettany as one of his “close friends” and testified that their text exchange was a reference to a Monty Python sketch about burning witches.
While a transcript of the conversation did show Bettany eventually rebuffing the idea, calling Heard “delightful company and easy on the eyes,” Depp testified that his ex-wife “despised” their friendship.
“For her, he was a threat and would take me away from her,” said Depp, who costarred with Bettany in 2010’s The Tourist, 2014’s Transcendence and 2015’s Mordecai. “If Paul Bettany was getting attention from me, that was a showstopper. It would cause all kinds of unpleasantries.”
Read on for more eyebrow-raising moments from Depp’s trial against Heard.
Furry Followers
A Johnny Depp fan showed her support for the actor by bringing two alpacas to the Fairfax County Circuit Court on April 25, 2022 in Fairfax, Va. One of the animals wore a sign that read: “We’re with you, Johnny.”
Little Black Book
On April 27, 2022, Depp was spotted carrying a notebook marked “Built to Last” and decorated with a green figure wearing a crown on its cover. Those following the court case online noticed that the actor often drew in the notebook during breaks, with one Twitter user writing that it was “actually so heartwarming” to see.
Real-Life Willy Wonka
Was this a case of life imitating art? Throughout the trial, Depp was photographed with small piles of confections on his desk, including gummy bears and jellybeans. At one point, camera footage from the legal proceedings captured the Charlie and the Chocolate Factory actor handing what appeared to be candy to someone in the courtroom.
Pre-Court Playlist
In a video captured outside of the courthouse, Depp was seen stepping out of his car as “Exodus” by Bob Marley loudly played on its speakers. He then quipped to the cameraperson, “Back in the little room again.”When the footage made its way online, social media users didn’t hold back on expressing their thoughts about Depp’s choice in music. “Johnny Depp blasting ‘Exodus’ by Bob Marley to the defamation trial is a big vibe,” one Twitter user wrote, while another tweeted that they had watched the clip “about 20x…it just never gets old.”
Vaping Witness
The courtroom was left perplexed on April 27, 2022 after a pre-recorded video deposition of Alejandro Romero, the front desk attendant at Depp and Heard’s former Los Angeles apartment building. The conversation showed him vaping from the inside of a car as he gave his statement, before driving away while continuing to answer questions. In a candid remark, Heard’s attorney called it “the most bizarre deposition.”The judge agreed. “I just got to say, I’ve never seen that before,” Judge Penney Azcarate replied. “I’ve seen a lot of things, but I’ve never seen that.”
Depp’s Doodles
During his court appearance on April 27, 2022, Depp was seen drawing something on a post-it note before passing it to his lawyer. In a video footage of the exchange, Depp’s attorney put on his glasses to examine the sketch and nodded as the Pirates of the Caribbean star whispered something in his ear.One fan tweeted, “crying over Johnny Depp’s lawyer looking at his doodle like a proud dad.”
Similar Styles
Eagled-eyed social media users noticed that the former couple had been wearing similar-looking suits and near-identical ties throughout the trial, prompting some to suspect that Heard “intentionally recreated” Depp’s look as a subtle message.”Man Amber Heard is literally playing with Johnny Depp’s mind in the court room copying his outfits the next day, copying every move he makes,” one Twitter user wrote. Meanwhile, another chimed in, “Can we talk about how Amber Heard is literally mocking Johnny every day in court,” adding, “Whatever he wears, she copies the NEXT DAY.”E! News reached out to Amber’s rep for comment but did not hear back.
Muffins on the Mind
Social media users were fascinated with a discussion about muffins as Dr. Shannon Curry, a clinical and forensic psychologist who was hired by Depp’s legal team to evaluate Heard, took the stand. When Heard’s attorney Elaine Bredehoft, in an attempt to sort out Curry’s testimony, asked the psychologist if her husband had brought the Aquaman actress baked goods on the day of her evaluation, Curry replied, “May I clarify what occurred so we can stop talking about the muffins?”Curry went on to explain that she was running late that day and had asked her husband “to pick up the muffins for me” from a local bakery for the office, not specifically for Heard.”He brought the muffins back to the house. I brought them into the office. Ms. Heard and I enjoyed the muffins together,” Curry said. “I think I made a comment to her along the lines of ‘my husband got these for us today,’ meaning he purchased the muffins we are now enjoying them because of him.”The bizarre exchange led to numerous TikTok videos, with some comparing it to the “Muffin Man” interrogation scene in Shrek.
For the latest breaking news updates, click here to download the E! News App
