Nine more HUGE celebrity lawsuits you need to read up about next

The world watched on as Johnny Depp won his lawsuit against Amber Heard yesterday evening (2nd June). News channels were live-broadcasting it around the world, millions of people were tweeting about it, and it’ll no doubt go down in history as one of the biggest celeb cases ever.

But, it’s not the first time we’ve seen two super-high-profile people battle it out in court. The media has previously shone the spotlight on at least 10 other million-dollar cases over the last few years.

According to BPP Law, here are the biggest celebrity lawsuits of all time, from Ed Sheeran to Kendall Jenner:

1. Meghan Markle vs. Associated Papers

In 2019, Meghan Markle filed a lawsuit against Associated Papers (which owns The Mail on Sunday) for copyright infringement, misuse of private information and breaching the Data Protection act after they published a private letter between Meghan and her dad.

In 2021, the court sided with Meghan – but only asked AP to pay £1 (ONE GREAT BRITISH POUND) in damages. The Court of Appeals decided not to allow the company to appeal the verdict or overturn it.

2. Ed Sheeran vs. Sami Chokri

After Ed released Shape of You, musician Sami Chokri sued him for copyright infringement.  Sami claimed Ed Sheeran had sampled his 2015 hit Oh Why without any permission or credit for the song.

On 6th of April, Ed won the court case, with the judge ruling he hadn’t plagiarised the song. Sami would’ve had to definitively prove Ed listened to Oh Why before making Shape of You – which is, er, impossible. So it essentially looked like a big coincidence.

3. Gwyneth Paltrow vs. literal scientists

Back in 2018, Gwyneth Paltrow found herself at the centre of a lawsuit with the California Food, Drug and Medical Device Task Force (CFDMD). Her wellness company, Goop, made false claims about the health benefits of its yoni eggs – including improving bladder control. As a result, Paltrow was ordered to pay £115,000 ($145,000) to settle the lawsuit and refund any customer who had purchased the eggs.

4. Scarlett Johansson vs. Disney

Scarlett Johansson recently sued Disney (the owner of Marvel Studios), for releasing the movie Black Widow on Disney+ at the same time as in cinemas.

The move from Disney is alleged to have broken the terms of Johansson’s contract and meant that the star lost out on £40 million ($50 million) in bonuses due to the release on the streaming platform.

However, the lawsuit did not get taken to court and was settled between Disney and Scarlett. Though the terms of the settlement have not been disclosed publicly, it is thought that Disney may have compensated the star with around £31 million ($40 million).

5. Johnny Depp vs. The Sun

The defamation trial against Amber Heard isn’t the first time Johnny Depp has been involved in a high-profile court case. Back in 2020, the actor filed a lawsuit against The Sun for an article it ran in which the writer called him a “Wife Beater”.

All The Sun had to do was prove the claims it made about Johnny Depp were, in fact, true. The actor ended up losing his libel case against the paper with the judge affirming their belief that Heard had been assaulted by Depp on numerous occasions.

6. Britney Spears vs. Jamie Spears

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A post shared by Britney Spears (@britneyspears)

One of the most famous long-running celebrity lawsuits of all time is the conservatorship between Britney and Jamie Spears. The 13 year-long legal battle saw Jamie take charge of the star’s finances, profit from her work and restrict her decisions.

The conservatorship finally came to an end in November 2021, which meant the star was able to take back her freedom and autonomy from her dad and has since gone on to get engaged.

7. Kelly Clarkson vs. Starstruck Management

In 2021, Kelly Clarkson filed a lawsuit against her former management company, Starstruck, which was owned by her ex-husband Brandon Blackstock

She was actually sued by the company first, for £1 million ($1.4 million) after her divorce. But she ended up countersuing, claiming they tried to defraud her, as there was no legal contract which claimed they were licensed to act as her managers.

 8. Kendall Jenner vs. Gregory Messer

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A post shared by Kendall (@kendalljenner)

In 2017, Kendall Jenner got caught up in a lawsuit which saw her being sued for £71 million ($90,000) after she endorsed the disastrous Fyre Festival on social media along with several other celebrities.

Kendall claimed the festival would be an exotic paradise filled with famous models and first-class experiences. As a result, the star was sued for misleading her followers and failing to disclose it was a paid promotion.

9. Coleen Rooney vs. Rebekah Vardy

In June 2020, Rebekah Vardy filed to sue Coleen for libel with the High Court – leading to the most memeworthy court case in the UK ever. Bold claim, but true.

The TV personality called Rebekah out for leaking stories about her to the press, in a sensational statement which included the iconic phrase “it’s… Rebekah Vardy’s account.”

On 10th May 2022, the pair finally came face-to-face in court. The jury is still deliberating their verdict – and it could be a while before we hear back from them.

Related stories recommended by this writer:

• Johnny Depp WINS the defamation case – but what happens next?
• Lost WhatsApps and Peter Andre’s ‘chipolata’: Rounding up the Wagatha Christie trial’s key moments
• Here are all the celebrities who have supported Johnny Depp during the trial

Featured image via Instagram before edits.