‘VisionQuest’ Star Paul Bettany Breaks His Silence on the Johnny Depp Texts and Reveals They Haven’t Spoken in Years

Paul Bettany has spent the past several years firmly in the Marvel spotlight. He’s currently back as White Vision in Disney+’s ‘VisionQuest’, the final chapter of the trilogy that began with ‘WandaVision’ and continued with ‘Agatha All Along’.

Outside of Marvel, Bettany is known for keeping a notably low public profile. That made it all the more jarring when his name became tied to one of Hollywood’s most publicized legal battles, after private text messages between him and Johnny Depp surfaced during Depp’s 2020 libel case against The Sun.

Now Bettany is finally addressing the controversy at length. In a new interview with The Times, he revealed that he hadn’t been in contact with Depp for years when the messages came out, and that the two haven’t spoken since.

Bettany was clear about the state of their relationship. “I hadn’t spoken to Johnny in years when that happened, and I haven’t spoken to him since,” he said. He also pushed back on how the story was framed at the time. Bettany said the oddest part of the episode was being portrayed as a close friend of Depp’s. “I was being painted as this close friend of a guy I hadn’t spoken to in years,” he explained.

The pair had previously worked together on ‘The Tourist’ and ‘Mortdecai’. But according to Bettany, their friendship was long in the past by the time the texts became public. For years, Bettany largely declined to discuss the messages. He said that was a deliberate choice. “So I decided to say nothing because, I think, people know me,” he told The Times.

He pointed to his private life as part of the reason. “I’ve been married 23 years and, for what I do, I live an incredibly quiet life,” Bettany said, adding that most people seemed to view the matter as minor and moved on.

A new trailer for ‘VISIONQUEST’ has been released. Premiering on October 14 on Disney+ https://t.co/UTm3eS3dBP

— The Hollywood Handle (@HollywoodHandle) October 1, 2026

“Everybody kind of thought this is probably a nothing burger – and left it alone,” he said. The comments offer a rare look at how he processed being pulled into such a public legal fight. The messages dated back to 2013, when Depp was engaged to Amber Heard. They included disturbing, violent remarks about Heard, exchanged between Depp and Bettany.

They became public in 2020 during Depp’s libel suit against The Sun, which had called him a “wife beater.” Depp lost that case, with the court finding The Sun’s claims substantially true.

The texts drew widespread criticism when they surfaced, and Bettany’s involvement prompted many questions about his relationship with Depp. Until now, he had said relatively little about it.

Bettany did briefly address the situation in a December 2021 interview with The Independent. At the time, he described having lawyers review years of his private messages as a strange moment and an unpleasant feeling.

His new comments go further, directly addressing the friendship and why he chose to stay out of the public conversation. They also make clear he has no ongoing relationship with Depp.

Bettany’s interview comes as ‘VisionQuest’ rolls out on Disney+, with the series premiering on October 14. Created by Terry Matalas, the show sees Bettany return as the rebuilt White Vision alongside James Spader’s Ultron and Ruaridh Mollica’s Tommy Maximoff.

With a major Marvel series streaming and his name back in headlines, Bettany seems ready to put the old controversy to rest on his own terms. Whether his explanation changes how fans see the episode remains to be seen.

Bettany’s comments have sparked fresh discussion online, with fans revisiting the Depp and Heard trial coverage. Some have welcomed his decision to clarify the relationship, while others feel the original messages still deserve scrutiny.

Have something to add? Let us know in the comments!