Johnny Depp Spotted At UK Pub With Sam Fender Before Verdict Was Read [Photo]

Johnny Depp was spotted having a great time at a pub shortly before the verdict in his defamation case against Amber Heard was read Wednesday. The actor was in good spirits as he hung out with some musician friends at Bridge Tavern in Newcastle, England, a source reportedly told People.

Depp was with singer-songwriter Sam Fender during the sighting, according to the pub patron. Rock guitarist Jeff Beck was with them as well. True enough, Fender posted a snap with Depp and Beck on his Instagram Story later that day.

Gary Spedding, another patron who was at the pub at the time, also shared his experience interacting with Depp "about 45 minutes" before the verdict was read. "He'd been drinking with Sam Fender this evening. And then I believe that the bar opened a berth space upstairs for them or something along those lines. And that’s where I saw him," he said.

Spedding added that Depp seemed to be in a good place when he left the pub later that evening. "He was leaving from the upstairs place, which is where I managed to see him to shake his hand and I spoke to him very, very briefly. He smiled at me and said, 'Thank you,' and gave me a wink. And he seemed very gracious and happy with where he was and things like that," he recounted.

The source revealed there was "quite a lot of support" for Depp from the people who recognized him at the pub, and the actor seemed happy and comfortable with that. "I'm glad that he's in the U.K. with members of a band that he's friends with and enjoying some music and enjoying himself because he deserves that. Once people spotted him and realized that he was there, there was quite a lot of support. Some people were clapping, lots of people got overexcited, as they would do with that," he said.

The verdict in Depp's defamation case against Heard was read in Fairfax, Virginia. A spokesperson for Depp confirmed ahead of the verdict that the actor would not be in the courtroom that day due to prior work commitments.