Actor Paul Bettany is offering clear, uncompromising context regarding his past association with Johnny Depp. In a new profile with The Times, the 55-year-old VisionQuest star opened up about the infamous 2013 text messages exchanged between himself and Depp regarding Depp’s ex-wife, Amber Heard—messages that were later made public during high-profile libel proceedings in London.
Bettany explained that by the time the messages surfaced in court in 2020, he and Depp had long since drifted apart:
“I hadn’t spoken to Johnny in years when that happened and I haven’t spoken to him since,” Bettany revealed to The Times. “I was being painted as this close friend of a guy I hadn’t spoken to in years and, honestly, amid all the **** two celebrities threw at each other, that bit was the most odd.”
Reflecting on why he chose to remain silent during the media frenzy, the actor cited his desire to keep his personal life separate from sensationalized headlines:
“So I decided to say nothing because, I think, people know me,” Bettany added. “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.”
The messages in question date back to 2013 and were read aloud during a preliminary hearing in London when Depp unsuccessfully sued The Sun for libel. In the private exchange, Depp wrote:
“Let’s burn Amber!!!”
Bettany responded with dark humor:
“Having thought it through I don’t think we should burn Amber – she’s delightful company and easy on the eye, plus I’m not sure she’s a witch. We could of course try the English course of action in these predicaments – we do a drowning test. Thoughts?”
Depp replied:
“Let’s drown her before we burn her!!! I will f*** her burnt corpse afterwards to make sure she’s dead.”
Bettany previously addressed the violation of privacy surrounding the leaked communications during a December 2021 interview with The Independent, recalling the invasive nature of the court proceedings:
“I think that’s a really difficult subject to talk about and I think that I just pour fuel on the fire,” Bettany noted at the time, pushing past his publicist’s intervention to clarify his feelings. “It was very strange. It was a strange moment… What was strange about it was you suddenly have one of the most scabrous newspapers in London and their lawyers pouring through your texts for the last 10 years. 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? All I can tell you was that it was an unpleasant feeling.”
With his latest remarks, Bettany puts a definitive bow on a bizarre chapter, reaffirming his commitment to his family, his craft, and a quiet life far away from Hollywood courtroom circuses.
