Paul Bettany reveals where he stands with Johnny Depp after Amber Heard text scandal

Paul Bettany is claiming that he and pal Johnny Depp are not in contact since their controversial private texts were made public in the actor's 2020 libel case.

​The Pirates of the Caribbean actor sued The Sun in 2020 after the newspaper published a headline in 2018 that labelled him a “wife beater" amid his strained relationship with ex-wife Amber Heard.

​The court later found the claim to be “substantially true”.

In the alleged 2013 text exchange, Depp talked about burning and drowning his ex wife.

Now, Paul has told The Times, “I hadn’t spoken to Johnny in years when that happened and I haven’t spoken to him since."

​He went on to explain his years-long silence behind the controversy, noting, "I was being painted as this close friend of a guy I hadn’t spoken to in years and, honestly, amid all the s*** two celebrities threw at each other, that bit was the most odd."

​The VisionQuest actor further added, “So I decided to say nothing because, I think, people know me. 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.”

​Back in December 2021, the Marvel Cinematic Universe star first addressed the messages.

​He told The Independent at the time, "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 is that it was an unpleasant feeling.”