By Jake Coyle, Film Writer
NEW YORK (AP) --Johnny Depp has exited the "Fantastic Beasts" franchise following his failed libel case against The Sun tabloid newspaper for a 2018 article that labeled him a "wife beater."
Depp said Friday in a letter posted on Instagram that he would depart the role of the dark wizard Gellert Grindelwald after the studio requested his resignation. Depp said his announcement came "in light of recent events."
"I wish to let you know that 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," said Depp.
Warner Bros. confirmed Depp's departure and said the role will be recast. "We thank Johnny for his work on the films to date," the studio said in a statement. The third "Fantastic Beasts" film is currently in production.
Depp also said he would appeal the decision earlier this week by a British judge. After hearing testimony from Depp and ex-wife Amber Heard in the high-profile case, Justice Andrew Nicol said that the allegations against Depp were "substantially true." Depp had sued News Group Newspapers, publisher of The Sun, and its executive editor, Dan Wootton, over an article accusing him of assaulting Heard.
"The surreal judgement of the court in the U.K. will not change my fight to tell the truth and I confirm that I plan to appeal," Depp said Friday. "My resolve remains strong and I intend to prove that the allegations against me are false. My life and career will not be defined by this moment in time."
"Fantastic Beasts," a prequel franchise spun off from the "Harry Potter" films, has grossed nearly $1.5 billion between 2016's "Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them" and 2018's "Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald."
California governor signs law to protect children from social media addiction
California will make it illegal for social media platforms to knowingly provide addictive feeds to children without parental consent beginning in 2027 under a new law Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom signed Friday.
California follows New York state, which passed a law earlier this year allowing parents to block their kids from getting social media posts suggested by a platform's algorithm. Utah has passed laws in recent years aimed at limiting children's access to social media, but they have faced challenges in court.
The California law will take effect in a state home to some of the largest technology companies in the world. Similar proposals have failed to pass in recent years, but Newsom signed a first-in-the-nation law in 2022 barring online platforms from using users' personal information in ways that could harm children. It is part of a growing push in states across the country to try to address the impacts of social media on the well-being of children.
"Every parent knows the harm social media addiction can inflict on their children — isolation from human contact, stress and anxiety, and endless hours wasted late into the night," Newsom said in a statement. "With this bill, California is helping protect children and teenagers from purposely designed features that feed these destructive habits."
The law bans platforms from sending notifications without permission from parents to minors between 12 a.m. and 6 a.m., and between 8 a.m. and 3 p.m. on weekdays from September through May, when children are typically in school. The legislation also makes platforms set children's accounts to private by default.
Opponents of the legislation say it could inadvertently prevent adults from accessing content if they cannot verify their... Read More