A STORM of protest erupted yesterday over Johnny Depp’s libel victory as ex-wife Amber Heard announced plans to appeal.

Critics slammed the shock ruling that she had maliciously defamed him by airing claims of abuse and said it marked the death of the MeToo movement.

5 A US court’s decision to award him £8.3million damages came two years after he was branded a wife-beater by a UK court Credit: The Mega Agency

5 The Aquaman actress described herself as a victim of domestic abuse in the article although she did not name Depp Credit: Getty

5 Following a six-week trial the jury awarded Depp £12million in damages, reduced to £8.3million by the judge on a technicality.

A US court’s decision to award him £8.3million damages came two years after he was branded a wife-beater by a UK court.

As the judgement was read out in Fairfax, Virginia, The Pirates of the Caribbean star was in the UK — downing Newcastle Brown Ale on a night out.

He was in a pub on Newcastle’s Quayside with Geordie singer Sam Fender and guitar legend Jeff Beck. Depp shook hands with fans and posed for pictures.

But he was quickly engulfed in the storm which followed his court victory.

American celebrities hit out at the ruling while entertainment experts warned horrific revelations aired in court would damage his future career prospects.

A series of appalling texts from Depp to a pal had been read out including one that said: “Let’s Burn Amber.”

In another he said he would like to see her “rotting corpse decomposing”.

Comedian Amy Schumer responded to the verdict by sharing a quote reading: “Any woman who chooses to behave like a full human being should be warned that the armies of the ­status quo will treat her as something of a dirty joke.”

Former host of US talk show The View Meghan McCain posted: “#MeToo is dead.”

Campaigners in the UK also slammed the decision.

Barrister Charlotte Proudman said: “The MeToo movement is dead and buried, it’s gone.

“MeToo was about women finding a voice. Now women are being told they can’t speak out about the alleged abuse they might have suffered, let alone name their perpetrator.

“This case sends out a message to ­victims of domestic abuse that if you go to court your mental health will be trawled over. You will be blamed.”

Depp, 58, brought the case after accusing Heard, 36, of defaming him in a 2018 article for The Washington Post.

The Aquaman actress described herself as a victim of domestic abuse in the article although she did not name Depp.

But his ­lawyers said it falsely implied he physically and sexually abused her when they were together.

Following a six-week trial the jury awarded Depp £12million in damages, reduced to £8.3million by the judge on a technicality.

Heard had countersued and was awarded £1.5million damages on one of her three claims after his lawyer accused her of a hoax in relation to her abuse allegations.

5 Amber Heard's lawyer Elaine Bredehoft said she plans to appeal the shock verdict Credit: Rex Features

5 Johnny Depp was in a pub on Newcastle’s Quayside with Geordie singer Sam Fender as the verdict was read out

In 2020, Depp lost a libel case against The Sun after a judge ruled we were right to label him a wife-beater.

Heard said after the latest ruling: “The disappointment I feel is beyond words. I’m even more disappointed with what this verdict means for other women.

“It sets back the clock to a time when a woman who spoke up and spoke out could be publicly ­humiliated. It sets back the idea that violence against women is to be taken seriously.”

Her lawyer Elaine Bredehoft said she plans to appeal.

Depp said after the case: “The jury gave me my life back.”

He was thought to be staying in the Newcastle Gateshead Hilton yesterday ahead of last night’s gig at The Sage with Beck.

He has already played with the former Yardbirds guitarist on his UK tour in Sheffield and at the Royal Albert Hall in London. He will also feature on the rest of the tour in Glasgow, Manchester, ­Birmingham and York.

Fans were stunned when they bumped into him in the pub in Newcastle shortly before the verdict was issued in America on Wednesday evening.

He ordered fish and chips at the Bridge Tavern and washed it down with Newcastle Brown Ale and Guinness.

Trainee assistant manager Naomi Holliday, 22, said: “I was on the day shift and it had been a normal day and he just waltzed in.

“He walked through the front door and sat on the table in the corner. He was drinking Brown Ale and had some food. He was asking about Newcastle because he had never been before and he was interested in the Tyne Bridge and the pub.

“There was no mention of the court case. We are Geordies so we like to keep things casual. Sam Fender came in a couple of hours afterwards which was mad. We probably won’t ever have another shift like that again.”

POWERFUL LAWYERS

Depp won the case after hiring a powerful team of A-list lawyers.

They included Kathleen Zellner who he called personally after he saw her starring role in the Netflix series Making a Murderer.

Despite his legal victory, entertainment experts reckon he could still be a loser when it comes to work.

They reckon dirty laundry aired in court from the couple’s stormy, 15-month marriage could damage both their future career prospects.

Former entertainment lawyer Matthew Belloni said: “Both will work again, but I think it will be a while before a major studio will consider them ‘safe’ enough to bet on.”

LA PR executive Eric Rose added: “It becomes more difficult now for studios to hire either actor because you’re potentially alienating a large segment of your audience who may not like the fact that you have retained either Johnny or Amber because feelings are so strong now.”

Heard’s lawyer Elaine Bredehoft said the star had “excellent grounds” for an appeal.

Asked if Heard could afford to pay the money she now owes Depp, Bredehoft said: “Oh absolutely not.”

She added the case had been a ‘tale of two trials’ after The Sun’s victory in 2020 and added: “The [UK] court found — we weren’t allowed to tell the jury this — that he had committed 12 acts of domestic violence including sexual violence.

“What did Depp’s team learn from this? Demonize Amber and suppress the evidence. We had an enormous amount of evidence that was suppressed in this case that was in the UK case.”

WHAT'S NEXT FOR AMBER FOR Amber Heard to rescue her reputation, she needs to lie low like many a star before her, says celebrity PR guru Ed Hopkins He said: “The public on the whole are forgiving, but they need a lot of time. “It’s not unheard of to make a comeback, look at Winona Ryder, Nicole Richie and even Michael Jackson, who all returned triumphantly after PR incidents.” But the memes from the trial saw Amber as the butt of jokes. Ed said: “There is no point sugar coating it, this is a full-blown crisis for her and her team, who will be trying to decide what’s next.” A Change.org petition calling for Amber to be removed from Aquaman 2 already has more than 4.5million signatures. Nick said: “She literally does not have any star power any more — and the public aren’t behind her. “If the public aren’t behind you, a studio will realise you’re not box office anymore, you’re not going to get bums on seats.” And according to Nick, the only way back for her is doing charity work.