Johnny Depp’s ex-partner Vanessa Paradis due to give evidence at High Court

Johnny Depp’s ex-partner Vanessa Paradis is set to appear at the High Court in London in support of the actor’s sensational libel claim against The Sun over an article that labelled him a “wife beater”.

The Hollywood star, 57, is suing the tabloid’s publisher News Group Newspapers (NGN) and its executive editor Dan Wootton over an April 2018 article which alleged he was violent towards ex-wife Amber Heard, 34, during their tumultuous relationship.

Actress Ms Paradis, who was in a relationship with Mr Depp for more than 14 years and had two children with him, is expected to give evidence in support of the actor’s case over a video link on Thursday.

At a preliminary hearing in the case, part of Ms Paradis’s witness statement said: “I have known Johnny for more than 25 years.

“We’ve been partners for 14 years and we raised our two children together.

“Through all these years I’ve known Johnny to be a kind, attentive, generous, and non-violent person and father.”

She added: “He was never violent or abusive to me.”

The actress is expected to give her evidence on Thursday, when witnesses including Starling Jenkins and Alejandro Romero, who worked at the Eastern Columbia Buildings in LA where Ms Heard and Mr Depp lived, are also expected to be called.

On Wednesday, the court did not have time to hear from actress Winona Ryder, who was engaged to Mr Depp in the 1990s, or Katherine Kendall, an actress and #MeToo advocate who claims she was “misquoted” in The Sun’s article.

The Pirates Of The Caribbean star is suing NGN and Mr Wootton over the publication of an article on April 27 2018 with the headline: “Gone Potty: How can JK Rowling be ‘genuinely happy’ casting wife beater Johnny Depp in the new Fantastic Beasts film?”.

His lawyers say the article bore the meaning there was “overwhelming evidence” Mr Depp assaulted Ms Heard on a number of occasions and left her “in fear for her life”.

Ms Heard claims that, during an incident in Australia, she was subjected to a “three-day hostage situation” during which Mr Depp drank to excess and took pills.

NGN is defending the article as true, and says Mr Depp was “controlling and verbally and physically abusive towards Ms Heard, particularly when he was under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs”.