LONDON: Lawyers for Johnny Depp told Britain’s Court of Appeal Thursday that the actor’s ex-wife, Amber Heard, did not donate all of her $7 million divorce settlement to charity as she claimed, part of arguments seeking to overturn a ruling that the actor assaulted Heard during the couple’s marriage.

The Hollywood star is seeking permission to appeal a High Court ruling in November, when he lost his libel lawsuit against The Sun newspaper for labeling him a “wife beater” in an article. Depp lost the case – thought to be one of the biggest English libel trials in recent history – following a three-week trial in July.

High Court Justice Andrew Nicol ruled that lawyers for Sun publisher News Group Newspapers proved during the trial that the allegations against Depp, made in a April 2018 article, were “substantially true.”

The judge ruled that Depp, 57, assaulted Heard on a dozen occasions and put her in fear for her life three times.

On Thursday, Depp’s lawyers argued for an appeal based on what they said was fresh evidence that Heard did not donate the entire amount of her $7-million divorce settlement to two charities.

Lawyer Andrew Caldecott said the donation claims gave Heard a “considerable boost to her credibility as a person” and that they had “tipped the scales against Mr. Depp from the very beginning.”

Neither Depp nor Heard were present for Thursday’s hearing in London