BEVERLY HILLS, November 08, (THEWILL) – Actor Johnny Depp has resigned from the ‘Fantastic Beasts’ franchise at the request of Warner Bros Studio, the owners of the franchise.
The actor took to his Instagram account to announce his exit from the franchise.
He wrote: “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.”
THEWILL writes that Depp’s exit comes days after he lost a suit against the publisher of a British newspaper that called him a “wife beater”. The newspaper had stated that there was “overwhelming evidence” that Depp assaulted his former wife and actress, Amber Heard, on multiple occasions.
A spokeswoman for the studio also confirmed that Depp would leave the franchise.
In his Instagram post, Depp said he would appeal the court’s ruling and thanked his fans for their support and love, saying he had “been humbled and moved by your many messages of love and concern, particularly over the last few days”.
“My resolve remains strong and I intend to prove that the allegations against me are false,” he wrote. “My life and career will not be defined by this moment in time.”