Brief
Paul Bettany says he hasn’t spoken to Johnny Depp since ‘Burn Amber’ texts were revealed
Bettany, promoting Disney+ VisionQuest, said the 2013 messages were taken out of context and that he and Depp have been out of touch for years.
By Felo News Desk · Published
Paul Bettany told The Times on October 15 that he has not spoken to Johnny Depp for years and was uncomfortable being presented as a close friend after private 2013 texts between them were read aloud in court.
What happened
The exchange, dubbed “Burn Amber,” dates to 2013 when the two actors worked together on three films between 2010 and 2015. In one message Depp wrote, “Lets burn Amber,” and Bettany replied in a mock‑medieval tone, joking about a “drowning test” and mentioning he had a pool. The texts resurfaced during Depp’s 2020 UK libel case against the publisher of The Sun and again in his 2022 U.S. defamation trial against Amber Heard.
What the reports add
Gulf News notes that Bettany said the jokes were less troubling than being portrayed as a close friend of Depp, a label he said was “the most odd” part of the courtroom drama. He added that he chose to remain silent because “people know me” and he lives a “quiet life” after 23 years of marriage to actress Jennifer Connelly.
What was said
Bettany told The Times, “I hadn’t spoken to Johnny in years when that happened and I haven’t spoken to him since… 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.” He also recalled a 2016 X post in which he described Depp as “among the kindest and gentlest people I knew,” a post that later disappeared.
How it came about
The texts first entered public view during Depp’s 2020 UK libel suit, which he lost, and re‑emerged in the 2022 U.S. defamation trial where Depp described Bettany as a good friend and claimed Heard disliked him because of that friendship. Bettany previously discussed the messages with The Times in 2022, calling the experience “embarrassing” and saying the messages had been stripped of context.
Key facts
- Paul Bettany has not spoken to Johnny Depp for years and since the 2013 texts were made public. (gulfnews.com)
- The private messages, known as “Burn Amber,” were exchanged in 2013 while the actors worked together on three films. (gulfnews.com)
- The texts were introduced as evidence in Depp’s 2020 UK libel case and his 2022 U.S. defamation trial. (gulfnews.com)
Sources
- [1] gulfnews.com — originally reported as “Paul Bettany addresses ‘Burn Amber’ texts with Johnny Depp: 'Haven't spoken to him since'”
