Johnny Depp has officially confirmed on his Instagram post that he has been asked by Warner Bros. to step down from his role as Gellert Grindelwald in the Fantastic Beasts movie series. The shocking decision from Warner Bros. has come after the actor lost a libel battle against his former wife, Amber Heard.

Johnny Depp in Fantastic Beasts 3
Johnny Depp in Fantastic Beasts 3Fantastic Beasts (@fantasticbeastsmovie/Instagram)

Johnny Depp took to his Instagram to make this revelation. In his lengthy statement, he first showed his gratitude for everyone who has come forward in recent days to support and comfort him. He then talked about his role as Gellert Grindelwald in the Fantastic Beasts movies.

"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," Depp wrote.

Johnny Depp then talked about the verdict from the UK court. He wrote that the "surreal judgment of the court in the UK will not change my fight, to tell the truth, and I confirm that I plan to appeal. 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."

Johnny Depp's libel case:

The Pirates of the Caribbean movie star has been in the news because of his wife and Aquaman movie actress Amber Heard. There were several allegations made against the star, which he and his lawyer denied in the court.

Earlier this week, he lost his highly publicized libel case against the publisher of Britain's The Sun newspaper, whose claim that he was an abusive husband. Depp sued the News Groups Newspapers and The Sun's executive editor, Dan Wootton, over an article that claimed that the movie star was violent towards his wife Amber Heard while they were together.

Amber Heard and Johnny Depp
Amber Heard and Johnny DeppTwitter

However, the UK's High Court ruled out the favor against Johnny Depp. The lawyers of the newspaper group argued in the court filings that Johnny Depp "beat his wife Amber Heard, causing her to suffer significant injury, and on occasion leading to her fearing for her life." The lawyers showed the evidence of photos, audio recordings, and Depp's very own text messages to put down their side.