Johnny Depp will not be reprising his role in the Fantastic Beasts franchise after Warner Bros. reportedly asked him to resign days after he lost his libel suit against a U.K. publication.
The actor made the announcement of his departure from the Harry Potter universe the via Instagram, where he said:
“I wish to let you know that I have been asked to resign by Warner Bros. from my role as Grindelwald in Fantastic Beasts and I have respected and agreed to that request.”
The libel case he filed against the publishers of U.K. newspaper The Sun was because of an article that called him a “wife-beater,” which was connected to his former wife, Amber Heard, who accused the actor of domestic abuse. Depp has repeatedly denied the allegations.
He sued the newspaper for the 2018 article, “Gone Potty: How Can JK Rowling be ‘genuinely happy’ casting wife-beater Johnny Depp in the new Fantastic Beasts film?” for ‘defamation for repeating false accusations.’
Johnny Depp posted a typed letter and shared it on his Instagram post. He also expressed plans to appeal the ruling.
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Johnny Depp played Gellert Grindelwald, a dark wizard who is rising to power in the Harry Potter spinoff franchise. He was last seen in 2018’s Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald.
Image courtesy of Warner Bros.
