Johnny Depp breaks social media silence to promote new film City of Lies amid heated libel case

Johnny Depp put aside all of his legal drama to make a rare social media post about his latest film. 

The 57-year-old actor posted the poster for his new drama City of Lies on Instagram on Friday.

‘Thank you to Voletta Wallace and the Poole family for allowing Brad, Forest, myself and the crew to tell this timely and important story,’ he captioned the image.

Rare post: Johnny Depp put aside all of his legal drama to make a rare social media update to display the poster for his new drama City of Lies on Instagram on Friday

Sending thanks: 'Thank you to Voletta Wallace and the Poole family for allowing Brad, Forest, myself and the crew to tell this timely and important story,' he captioned the image

Sending thanks: ‘Thank you to Voletta Wallace and the Poole family for allowing Brad, Forest, myself and the crew to tell this timely and important story,’ he captioned the image

‘Truth is a rare bird. All the more reason to search for it. ‘City of Lies’ in US theatres today. VOD on April 9th. More territories to be added soon,’ he said about the new release.

The crime drama delves into the mystery behind the murders of Tupac Shakur and Notorious B.I.G. 

Depp filmed the movie back in 2017, but it was pulled from its original 2018 release, reportedly due to a lawsuit filed against Depp by a location manager on the film claiming the star assaulted him on set.   

Based on the book LAbyrinth by Randall Sullivan, the film sees retired LAPD detective Russell Poole, played by Depp, team up with journalist Jack Jackson, played by Forest Whitaker, to investigate the Tupac and B.I.G. cases and uncover the truth.

Plot: Based on the book LAbyrinth by Randall Sullivan, the film sees a retired LAPD detective, played by Depp, team up with a journalist, played by Forest Whitaker, to investigate the murders of Tupac Shakur and Notorious B.I.G. and uncover the truth

Plot: Based on the book LAbyrinth by Randall Sullivan, the film sees a retired LAPD detective, played by Depp, team up with a journalist, played by Forest Whitaker, to investigate the murders of Tupac Shakur and Notorious B.I.G. and uncover the truth

Finally released: Depp filmed the movie back in 2017, but it was pulled from its original 2018 release, reportedly due to a lawsuit filed against Depp by a location manager on the film claiming the star assaulted him on set

Finally released: Depp filmed the movie back in 2017, but it was pulled from its original 2018 release, reportedly due to a lawsuit filed against Depp by a location manager on the film claiming the star assaulted him on set

New accusations: The post came one day after the Pirates of the Caribbean performeru00A0branded his ex-wife Amber Heard a 'scumbag gold-digger' and a 'f***ing wh***'' in the London Court of Appeal

New accusations: The post came one day after the Pirates of the Caribbean performer branded his ex-wife Amber Heard a ‘scumbag gold-digger’ and a ‘f***ing wh***” in the London Court of Appeal

The post came came one day after the Pirates of the Caribbean performer branded his ex-wife Amber Heard a ‘scumbag gold-digger’ after their marriage ended four years ago in the Court of Appeal in London.

He lashed out in a 2016 text to his nurse after the actress said she would hand her entire $7 million divorce settlement to charity. 

Depp wrote at the time: ‘No Way she’ll give a dime to anyone!!! Thank f*** she’s gone!!! Makes me sick to think of how hard I tried to make it work… Now… Honestly, I wouldn’t touch that f***ing wh*** with a Hazmat suit on!!! What scum. I f***ing hate her!!!’ 

The star is trying to overturn a High Court ruling that he assaulted his ex-wife, 34, and put her in fear for her life, and is asking the Court of Appeal to order a re-trial of his libel claim against The Sun after he was called a ‘wife-beater.’

Legal battle: The star is trying to overturn a damning High Court ruling that he assaulted his ex-wife, 34, and put her in fear for her life, and is asking the Court of Appeal to order a retrial of his libel claim against The Sun after he was called a 'wife-beater'

Legal battle: The star is trying to overturn a damning High Court ruling that he assaulted his ex-wife, 34, and put her in fear for her life, and is asking the Court of Appeal to order a retrial of his libel claim against The Sun after he was called a ‘wife-beater’

After the couple divorced in 2016, the Aquaman starlet said she would split the settlement between the Children’s Hospital Los Angeles and the American Civil Liberties Union.

His lawyers accused Amber of giving away ‘a fraction’ of the huge sum as part of a ‘calculated and manipulative lie’ to make herself look better. 

The lawyer representing The Sun asked the court to reject the appeal demanding a re-trial and said that the actor knew that Amber’s donation would be paid in installments rather than a lump sum and ‘suspected that she would not make the payments’.

Ruling to come: The lawyer representing The Sun asked the court to reject the appeal demanding a re-trial, and the judge said the court would give its ruling at a later date

Ruling to come: The lawyer representing The Sun asked the court to reject the appeal demanding a re-trial, and the judge said the court would give its ruling at a later date

Trial results: Following a three-week trial in July 2020, a judge found that an April 2018 column calling the Edward Scissorhands star a 'wife beater' was 'substantially true'

Trial results: Following a three-week trial in July 2020, a judge found that an April 2018 column calling the Edward Scissorhands star a ‘wife beater’ was ‘substantially true’

Following a three-week trial in July 2020, a judge found that an April 2018 column calling the Edward Scissorhands star a ‘wife beater’ was ‘substantially true.’

At the conclusion of Thursday’s appeal hearing, the judge said the court would give its ruling at a later date. 

Neither party was present for the hearing. The former pair got married in 2015 after first meeting on the set of The Rum Diary in 2009.

Heard then filed for divorce from Depp in May 2016, kicking off years of legal back-and-forth between the two.

How it started: The former pair (here in 2015) got married in 2015 after first meeting on the set of The Rum Diary in 2009. Heard then filed for divorce from Depp in May 2016, kicking off years of legal back-and-forth between the two

How it started: The former pair (here in 2015) got married in 2015 after first meeting on the set of The Rum Diary in 2009. Heard then filed for divorce from Depp in May 2016, kicking off years of legal back-and-forth between the two