Thrilling gang warfare drama Top Boy came to an explosive conclusion earlier this month after more than a decade – with Netflix and Canadian rapper Drake helping to see the series to a satisfying conclusion after it was dropped by Channel 4.

The show became one of Netflix’s most-viewed shows in the week that its third and final season post-renewal went out.

Viewers tuned in to see what became of Ashley Walters’ Dushane and Kane Robinson’s Sully as their warfare with other drug gangs in the fictional Summerhouse estate in Hackney, London, reached a dramatic climax.

But the show had humble beginnings on Channel 4 when it first aired in 2011 – and featured a number of actors who were relative unknowns at the time, and have since gone on to appear in huge Hollywood productions.

Michaela Coel, Letitia Wright and Benedict Wong are among the stars to have used Top Boy as a springboard to launch themselves into Marvel movies, while others have since starred in big dramas, Netflix films and other blockbusters. 

It bodes well for the breakout stars of the rebooted series such as Micheal Ward – some of whom are already picking up plaudits across the industry.

Michaela Coel 

The Ghanaian-British actress, 35, appeared in series two of the show in its Channel 4 era, as Kayla – a woman charged with killing her own boyfriend. 

Her 2013 appearance was brief – across just two episodes – but Coel went on to star in E4 sitcom Chewing Gum and Black Earth Rising before writing and starring in I May Destroy You – a powerful BBC drama about a woman seeking to rebuild her life after being raped on a night out that won BAFTAs and a Primetime Emmy.

She famously turned down $1million from Netflix for rights to the show after it refused to let her retain the ownership rights, and was named one of Time magazine’s most influential people. It noted: ‘You don’t just watch Michaela Coel shows; you experience them.’

She published a book, Misfits, based on her experiences of racism and misogyny, in 2021. And since then, she has appeared in Marvel blockbuster Black Panther: Wakanda Forever as Aneka, a member of the royal family’s bodyguards in the fictional African nation of Wakanda.

Letitia Wright

Letitia Wright, 29, appeared in the first series of Top Boy as Chantelle, a drug dealer on the Summerhouse estate. She left after the first series as her character goes to work for a rival gangster.

She also made other early career appearances in the likes of Casualty and Doctor Who – but came to the fore as the star of coming-of-age drama Urban Hymn, set against the backdrop of the 2011 London riots. 

An appearance in the Netflix reboot of Black Mirror was then followed by the role that many know her best for – as Shuri, the quick-witted inventor sister of superhero T’Chala in Marvel flick Black Panther. 

She made appearances in subsequent comic crossover films Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame – but she was unexpectedly thrust into the lead role of Black Panther sequel Wakanda Forever when star Chadwick Boseman died of cancer and Shuri was written into an expanded role.

Benedict Wong

Wong, 52, was a prolific actor before appearing on Top Boy – in radio and on stage, with a role in 2002 thriller Dirty Pretty Things. His profile grew as he appeared in sitcom 15 Storeys High opposite the late Sean Lock with guest appearances on programmes such as The Bill and comedies like The Peter Serafinowicz Show and The IT Crowd.

But it was after his role in Top Boy, as scheming rival drug dealer Vincent, that he was catapulted into stardom and became a fan favourite with Marvel moviegoers as Wong, the sardonic and deadly serious sorcerer who befriends Benedict Cumberbatch’s Doctor Strange and helps him to master mystical powers.

Appearing in both seasons of the original Channel 4 programme, he recruited characters including Letitia Wright’s to run a cannabis farm.  

Around the same time, he began making appearances in big films like Johnny English: Reborn and Alien sci-fi prequel Prometheus. But it is his appearances as Wong in Doctor Strange, its sequel, and other interconnected Marvel films and TV shows that have brought him a huge new audience of adoring fans.

Micheal Ward 

The young actor first appeared in Top Boy in the rebooted Netflix series as Jamie – a fearsome rival gangster on the Summerhouse estate – in 2019, at the same time that he appeared in controversial crime drama Blue Story.

The film was at the centre of an incident in Birmingham in which police were attacked by a group armed with machetes; cinema chain Vue later said that 25 incidents of violence were reported in screenings on the first day.

However, Ward was praised for his performances in both Top Boy and the music-led gang film – the latter of which earned him a Rising Star BAFTA – and since then he has appeared opposite Colin Firth and Olivia Coleman in Sam Mendes’ racial drama Empire of Light, and worked with Steve McQueen on his BBC anthology series Small Axe.

Next year, he will appear in The Book of Clarence as part of a star-studded ensemble cast including the likes of David Oyelowo and James McAvoy, and will feature opposite Bill Nighy in sports drama The Beautiful Game.

Sharon Duncan-Brewster 

Duncan-Brewster, 47, was an established TV actor before appearing in Top Boy – appearing as central character Crystal in ITV prison drama Bad Girls, with parts in EastEnders as Trina as well as appearances on Holby City, Waking the Dead and Doctors.

But after appearing in Top Boy as Lisa, mum of central character Ra’Nell in seasons one and two, the actress has appeared in Sex Education, Star Wars prequel Rogue One and even the FIFA series of football games, where she appears as the mother of fictional footballer Alex Hunter as he dreams of making it big in the game.

But she has received high praise following her appearance in Denis Villeneuve’s rebooted Dune as scientist Liet-Kynes. Her performance in the sci-fi flick led to Vanity Fair branding her ‘Dune’s secret weapon’ that ‘brings (her role) to life’. 

This year, she has continued her intergalactic ascension with a voice role in Disney+ sci-fi series Star Wars: The Bad Batch.

Nicholas Pinnock

Pinnock, 50, had long established himself as a stage actor but prior to Top Boy had made only guest appearances in UK programmes such as Casualty, Doctors, EastEnders and Holby City.

But it was when he appeared as central character Leon in series one of Top Boy that his career found new energy. His reformed gangster spent his episodes trying to warn others off of a life of drug-dealing, with tragic consequences. He then went on to appear in The Ice Cream Girls on ITV.

In 2020, he starred in legal drama For Life, as a man who obtains a law degree behind bars while serving time for a crime he didn’t commit, which was produced by rapper Curtis ’50 Cent’ Jackson. Pinnock previously told Hollywood news website Gold Derby that Top Boy won him the role – because the musician was a fan.

He is currently appearing in Sky Atlantic series Django, a reimagining of the classic Italian spaghetti western from the 1960s.

Paul Anderson

Anderson, 44, appeared in Top Boy in 2013.as Mike, a psychotic would-be rival drug dealer to main character Dushane, fresh out of prison after committing armed robbery.

A year later, he starred in Troubles drama ’71 before appearing in The Revenant alongside Leonardo Di Caprio.

Now, he’s best known for starring opposite Cillian Murphy as his right-hand man, Arthur Shelby, in Peaky Blinders, and appeared in the modernised 2018 Hollywood retelling of Robin Hood.

Weruche Opia

Weruche Opia appeared in the second series of Top Boy as drug dealer Nafisa – before landing roles in hits like Bad Education and surreal BBC anthology series Inside No. 9.

These led to a leading role in Michaela Coel’s I May Destroy You as Terry, the best friend of Coel’s character Arabella, who tries to help her piece together the events of the night that she was raped. Opia has since appeared in Netflix film Slumberland, and appeared as herself in an episode of the most recent series of Black Mirror.

Opia has since distanced herself from her Top Boy role as well as her appearance on Bad Education, disparaging the parts as ‘stereotypical young black girl’ roles. She told The Observer in 2020: ‘I did it for a while – in [the TV series] Bad Education, in Top Boy – but then I made a conscious decision and told my team I didn’t want to do those roles any more.’

Saffron Hocking  

Up-and-coming actress Hocking, 31, appeared in the rebooted Netflix series of Top Boy as Lauryn, a pregnant mum-to-be who suffers domestic abuse before taking matters into her own hands. She has been nominated for a TV BAFTA for her role.

Prior to her role in the series, she appeared in Strangeways Here We Come – but since taking to the Netflix drama she has appeared in Marvel Disney+ series Moon Knight as well as Prime Video series Riches and The Devil’s Hour. 

She also appeared as the cover star on the digital edition of this month’s Cosmopolitan UK, speaking about how she has become an ambassador for domestic abuse charity Refuge after consulting the non-profit while researching for her Top Boy role.

Top Boy’s Adwoa Aboah stuns in a scarlet latex dress while on-screen girlfriend Jasmine Jobson wows in plunging blue jumpsuit at the Perfect Magazine x Valentino LFW party

By Summer Goodkind For Mailonline

Published: 08:51 EDT, 19 September 2023 | Updated: 08:53 EDT, 19 September 2023

Russell Brand is seen in resurfaced footage calling Morning Joe’s Mika Brzezinski a ‘shaft grasper’ for the way she holds her water bottle – forcing her to cut to a break.

Brand was 38 at the time and promoting his Messiah Complex stand-up tour, which begun in Abu Dhabi in August 2013.

He appeared to enjoy the awkward interview, in which he pretended to do the hosts’ jobs and mocked them for their dress sense, later tweeting: ‘This is me on a mad American program. Quite funny.’

But after he was accused in a bombshell report on Sunday of rape and sexual assault, Brand’s comments are being seen in a new light.

Brand has now been accused of rape, sexual assault and emotional abuse by four women during the peak of his fame, following a joint investigation by The Sunday Times, The Times and Channel 4 Dispatches.

The explosive allegations are said to have taken place between 2006 and 2013, while Brand was a presenter for BBC Radio 2 and Channel 4. He has denied the claims.  

The comedian and actor opened with a riff on the media and said that he enjoyed stand-up because it gave him a direct connection to audiences.

‘Don’t think about what I’m wearing – these things are just a distraction,’ said Brand, in response to Brian Shactman joking that he intended to come into work the next day dressed like Brand, with an open shirt and multiple necklaces.

‘I’m distracted,’ interjected host Mika Brzezinski. ‘Be distracted,’ Brand said. ‘What do you think that gesture means – the way you’re touching that bottle? What’s the subtext of that?’

To loud laughter from the studio, Schactman said: ‘We’ve got to go to a break.’

Brand continued: ‘You need to lose that ring, Mika, because it don’t mean nothing to ya’. She’s grasping for the shaft. She’s a shaft-grasper.’

Brzezinski looked somewhat stunned, and picked up her coffee mug to hide her shock.

‘Russell…’ began the other woman on the panel, fellow Briton, Katty Kay. Schactman, laughing, said: ‘That was free, but it was great. We’ll buy tickets.’

The clip resurfaced on the same day that another similarly uncomfortable encounter with Brand, from the same year, re-emerged.

Singer Katherine McPhee was seen in 2013 bouncing up and down on Russell Brand‘s lap during her appearance on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon.

Brand, now 48, appeared on the talk show a decade ago and tried to flirt with the married actress, which to onlookers left her appearing visibly uncomfortable.

But on Monday the singer – who has been married twice – poured cold water on such suggestions. ‘This specific incident was over 10 years ago and it was harmless,’ she said.

During the Jimmy Fallon interview, Brand refused to move out of the interview chair as McPhee stepped up to talk to the host. 

He told Fallon: ‘She’s welcome to sit here’, then grabbed her and suggestively bounced a shocked-looking McPhee on his lap – before she quickly leapt up. 

After Fallon referenced McPhee’s husband, Brand interjected: ‘I didn’t know you were married. I’m going to f**k off now.’ 

It comes as The Times and Sunday Times claim ‘several women’ have come forward with undisclosed allegations about Brand’s behavior during the early 2000s in wake of their joint investigation with Channel 4 which was published on Saturday.

The maverick actor and stand-up comic has strenuously denied any wrongdoing and blamed the ‘mainstream media’ for the ‘litany of astonishing, rather baroque attacks’. 

The latest allegations – which the newspaper says have not been investigated by police, but will now be ‘rigorously checked’ – follow accusations from four women, including one who claims she was sexually assaulted by Brand during a three-month relationship with him when she was 16 and still at school. 

The BBC is now also facing ‘urgent questions’ after it was claimed Brand used his company-provided car service to pick the girl up from school.

Both BBC and Channel 4 have launched internal investigations into separate accusations of predatory behavior by Brand towards staff and audience members during the time of his employment. 

Channel 4 has since removed all programs linked to Brand from its website, including episodes of The Great British Bake Off and Big Brother’s Big Mouth in which he was featured, The Daily Telegraph reported.

Netflix has since been urged to remove his comedy special, titled Re:Birth, from its streaming catalogue. 

The BBC’s probe was announced minutes before Scotland Yard piled on the pressure by announcing that detectives would like to speak to the comedian’s alleged victims.

Among the complaints raised in the investigation were allegations by one woman, who alleged Brand raped her against the wall in his Los Angeles home. 

Another woman alleged the comedian sexually assaulted her while she worked with him in Los Angeles and that he threatened her with legal action if she told anyone.

While the third claimed she was sexually assaulted by Brand who she alleges was physically and emotionally abusive towards her.

The fourth woman, referred to as Alice to protect her identity, said she was 16 when he choked her during a sexual act.

She alleges he took her virginity, was ‘preoccupied’ with her being ‘innocent and pure’, and often referred to her as ‘The Child’.

Alice described his behavior towards her as ‘grooming’ as Brand would allegedly provide her with scripts on how to deceive her parents into allowing her to visit him. She also claimed he would send his ‘BBC car’ to her secondary school to pick her up.

‘The first time I used it, he told me it was booked to take him to his radio show but he had a friend taking him instead so I should use that car,’ she told The Times.

She claimed the chauffeur once took her from Brand’s home to her grandmother’s house and that on a separate occasion the same car ‘picked me up from school’.

Alice added: ‘It was the same car…I knew that that was a BBC car.’

The BBC did not initially commit to an inquiry but amid the growing outcry, it shifted its position and a spokesman said it was ‘urgently looking into the issues’.

In a statement, a BBC spokesman said: ‘The documentary and associated reports contained serious allegations, spanning a number of years.

‘Russell Brand worked on BBC radio programs between 2006 and 2008 and we are urgently looking into the issues raised.’ 

Brand has lashed out at ‘aggressive’ media claims as he insisted any relationships he had ‘during his time of promiscuity’ were ‘consensual’ in a 2min 45sec monologue to his 11 million followers on X and 6.5million subscribers on YouTube.

He accused the news organizations of coordinating an attack on him, telling his followers: ‘Is there another agenda at play?

‘Particularly when we’ve seen coordinated media attacks before, like with Joe Rogan, when he dared to take a medicine that the mainstream media didn’t approve of, and we saw a spate of headlines from media outlets across the world using the same language.’

When Meghan Markle stepped out in a $1,600 wool coat, Hermes scarf and Chanel flats last month, it wasn’t her outfit that caught attention. 

Her most talked-about accessory was a small blue sticker on her left wrist – an anti-stress NuCalm patch that has become popular among wellness gurus and biohackers and promises to provide ‘resonance and frequencies’. 

As a person with a high baseline stress level, I was immediately intrigued – and was prepared to pay the $80 for a pack of 20 NuCalm stickers (plus the $30-a-month for the company’s companion app).

If it is good enough to keep the Duchess of Sussex calm,  I figured it would be an easy counter to my daily stressors.

When I went to NuCalm’s website to learn what I was in for, I was met with jargon that only a Ph.D. student could understand.

The site said the sticker works by ‘tapping into the body’s Pericardium Meridian with particular electromagnetic frequencies of inhibitory neurotransmitters to interrupt the HPA axis and downregulate sympathetic tone.’ 

Come again? 

I couldn’t help but feel the jargon was intentional to mask the fact the sticker is based on traditional Chinese medicine techniques rather than sound science.

For 10 days straight, I wore the sticker on the ‘pericardium-6 acupuncture point’, which is a fancy way of saying the inside of my left wrist.

In traditional Chinese medicine, that pressure point is said to be part of the ‘Pericardium meridian energy pathway’ which, when stimulated through acupressure, can influence the flow of vital energy or ‘qi’ and blood along that pathway. 

If you rolled your eyes while reading that description, you’re like me. But for the first two days of my trial, I was surprised by how much I felt the reduction in general stress.

Whether it was a placebo effect or sheer optimism about a possible anxiety treatment that’s not a pill made by big pharma, I’m still not quite sure.

When you wear the sticker, you get a mild sense of pressure on your wrist which took a bit of getting used to.

After around day three, and I started to forget the sticker was there, the stress and anxiety came back – which makes me confident there’s something psychosomatic going on when it comes to NuCalm’s anti-anxiety effects.

There were long periods throughout the test where I noticed that my breathing felt smooth and more consistent than usual – but again, was I just hypersensitive to my body? I’m still undecided.

As the week went on, I would feel bouts of uneasiness creep back in – waiting on the claustrophobic subway platform during rush hour or holding my breath on the phone as the dial tone buzzed hoping my source on the other end would pick up. 

But periodically, when I spotted the sticker on the inside of my wrist again, my breathing would ease up, my thoughts would slow to a normal pace, and my muscles would loosen.

It was as if the sticker were a reminder rather than an actual medical device. 

I attempted to dig up some scientific research that could offer an answer to my question – was it all in my head? 

But the answer eluded me, even after following up with the NuCalm website’s repeated claims to be ‘clinically proven’. 

I found no such clinical trial or research on any sort of wearable bio-signaling disc.

When it comes to sleep quality, I did feel  marginally more rested over the 10 days. 

The NuCalm Deep Sleep channel on the app features music that can run for hours, though it’s not the actual music that lulls you sleep.

The frequencies from the music are said to synchronize brain waves to other frequencies associated with different states of being – alpha and theta, which mimic the body’s natural communication processes to initiate sleep.

The difference after a night of wearing the disc and listening to hours of low frequencies was marginal, though I noticed myself hitting the snooze button fewer times, suggesting the quality of my sleep was improved. 

Given the spotty science and tepid reviews from neuroscientists, it’s worth dissecting the company’s claims. 

The company likens the small disc inside each sticker to a battery holding a charge. 

When the sticker is pressed against a pressure point, the body pulls frequencies of energy from it that activate the part of the nervous system that modulates our responses to stress. 

The question of what exactly is inside this disc to prompt the sort of communication between neurons the company is so proud of remains a bit murky. 

The company credits frequency tuning and sound resonance to make its discs work but elsewhere on the site it says that the discs include ‘a proprietary blend of inhibitory neurotransmitters, primarily GABA.’ 

But elsewhere, NuCalm’s CEO Jim Poole has said the discs each contain a tiny Tesla coil to emit frequencies. 

The technology was developed over a period of 20 years by the late neuroscientist Dr Blake Holloway.

But Mr Poole is not himself a scientist, rather he was a business major from Babson College in Massachusetts.

Sophie Summers, a blogger on the Fitness Junkie Blog, said of her experience with a 30-minute session of meditation through the app coupled with the sticker on her wrist: ‘As the beautiful sounds swirled around me I could feel my whole body relax.

‘It was as though I could feel my entire body as once but also parts of it individually. My whole body, but especially my arms and chest became very heavy.

‘The thought of moving my arms seemed like an impossible task. But the feeling was so wonderful that I wouldn’t dare even try for the fear of losing the deep relaxation.

‘I was calm, relaxed, grounded.’

The price tag likely will not deter people who pride themselves on being attuned to their personal health, nor will its lofty promises deter so-called wellness gurus who have successfully monetized the quest for self-improvement.

Prince Harry turns 39 today and partied with Meghan in a traditional German bar last night where he washed down bratwurst sausage and wiener schnitzel with six beers, MailOnline can reveal.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex enjoyed a night out in Dusseldorf with friends as the Invictus Games draws to a close.

Bar staff said the royals were ‘lovely’ and left a ‘big tip’ as they enjoyed plates piled high with red cabbage and mashed potato. While Harry celebrated with six half-pints, his wife stuck to just one small drink.

Diners at the Im Goldenen Kessel restaurant and bar were asked not to take pictures but said they saw the prince laughing and joking as the food arrived at his table. He also looked thrilled when a birthday cake arrived at the end of the meal.

He and Meghan posed for photographs with the owner of the restaurant Thea Ungermann and head waiter Frank Wackers who has worked at the restaurant for 38 years. 

Ms Ungermann told MailOnline: ‘Harry was a lovely man and was having a very jolly time. Meghan was lovely.’ 

Meghan stuck with the white skinny jeans she wore to watch the volleyball match yesterday. She paired it with a red and white pinstriped shirt and nude ballet pumps. Meanwhile Harry wore dark jeans and a grey top. 

During his meal, Harry was presented with a birthday cake by staff at the restaurant, based in Dusseldorf’s old town.

He and his party took up two tables at the restaurant, which is part of the Schumacher brewery, and were served their food and beer by Mr Wackers.

Mr Wackers told MailOnline that Harry had six small beers – about half a pint rather than the litre sized beers most German breweries serve.

He said the group were served Wiener Schnitzel, pork knuckle, sausage and plates of roast and mashed potato.

Mr Wackers said: ‘They were very happy. He is a lovely man, and they were so nice.’

He also joked that Harry’s bodyguard asked what was the beer like.

‘He said that he would kill me if the beer was bad, but I know he was joking.’

Aides and staff sang Happy Birthday as the restaurant presented Harry with a white chocolate cake.  

After tucking in, the party then walked back to their waiting cars in the cobbled Altstadt area of the city. 

A source close to the prince said: ‘They drank local beer and ate family style dishes to experience a true German meal. Everyone was incredibly friendly, especially the waiters pictured in the photograph online. 

‘They did not dine in a private space and were in joyful spirits, toasting and laughing with the team.

After dinner, the group headed back to the hotel to sing Happy Birthday and eat cake just shy of midnight.’

The owner of the restaurant said Harry picked up the bill and left a big tip for the staff.

The restaurant is attached to the Schumacher brewery, one of two popular venues in Dusseldorf.

Both Ms Ungermann and the head waiter speak fluent English so were able to take Harry and Meghan’s orders without needing to translate them into German.

Harry and his party had driven from their hotel in the Media Harbour of the city and were dropped off by a pedestrian area.

They walked the 50 yards to the restaurant past other bars before occupying two tables in a raised section of the restaurant which is next door to a McDonalds.

The party drank the locally brewed beer called Alt Schumacher which is also served at the Merkur Spiel-Arena where the Invictus Games are held.

Ms Ungermann said: ‘The couple were very relaxed, they drank our beer, Schumacher Alt – it’s the same beer they are serving at the Invictus Games.

‘Harry and Meghan sat next to each other during the meal. I had goosebumps when they walked into the restaurant, I had watched his speech on the stage at the Invictus Games and couldn’t believe he was in my restaurant. Prince Harry was so lovely and gave me a hug.’

The restaurant posted the group photo of Harry and Meghan with staff on their social media. 

Harry is thought to have had an early 39th party as he will be busy with events at the games today.

So you think you know what’s cool? Top 100 brands favoured by children are revealed with Netflix, YouTube and McDonald’s leading the way – and a few surprising entries you may not have expected

• Lego, Spotify and TikTok all found places in the top 100, as did Greggs 

By Elizabeth Haigh

Published: 06:45 EDT, 16 August 2023 | Updated: 07:45 EDT, 16 August 2023

The exact date that King Charles and Prince Harry are likely to ‘meet for peace talks’ has been revealed – but Meghan Markle isn’t expected to be there, according to a well-placed source.

Prince Harry, 38, is reportedly due to fly back home to California via London next month when his Invictus Games end in Germany.

Meanwhile, the King, 74, is due to return from his summer holiday in Balmoral in mid September, meaning both the monarch and his youngest son will be in the British capital at the same time.

As such, it’s thought that the pair could meet with one another in the hopes of smoothing out tensions within the Royal Family, following the release of the Duke of Sussex‘s explosive memoir Spare, and his and his wife’s Netflix docuseries. 

Staff are reportedly making plans for the ‘peace talks’ to take place on September 17, ahead of the King’s trip to France on September 20, a source told OK! magazine. 

The source said: ‘King Charles is due to return to London from Balmoral in the middle of September which ties in with the end of Harry’s Invictus Games trip to Dusseldorf. 

‘The King has a rescheduled official visit to France on September 20 so has a few days to spare in London to meet with his son. Staff are trying to fine-tune the details as we speak.’

The insider added that Charles was also understood to have been upset by the claims his son made in his memoir Spare – particularly those concerning his wife Queen Camilla, who Harry felt ‘had sacrificed me on her personal PR altar’.

‘If the talks take place, the King will make it very clear that there will be absolutely no private family business discussed in public moving forward,’ they told OK!.

Indeed, it was reported that Camilla herself was ‘hurt’ by the contents of the book, in which she was labelled ‘dangerous’ and a ‘villain’, according to one of her closest friends.

‘Of course it bothers her, of course it hurts,’ Fiona, the Marchioness of Lansdowne – who was one of the Queen’s official companions at the King’s Coronation, told the Sunday Times.

‘But she doesn’t let it get to her. Her philosophy is always, “Don’t make a thing of it and it will settle down – least said, soonest mended.”‘

Although Meghan is said to be accompanying Harry to the Invictus Games, the source said it was ‘highly unlikely’ that she would be included in any ‘peace talks’ that took place between Harry and the King. 

Earlier this year, other insiders expressed their belief that a reconciliation between Harry, Prince William and their father is not out of the realm of possibility.

‘It’s fixable,’ they told The Times. ‘Both sides need to hold their hands up and admit ”we didn’t get everything right, and we got a lot wrong”… It’s going to take flexibility on all sides, but it can be done.’

‘It needs Harry over here, in the room with the King and Prince of Wales, a couple of other family members, some of ‘his people’ he trusts who always had his back, so he doesn’t think he’s being ambushed.’

However, the Prince of Wales may be slightly harder to win over, the source added.

Harry had shared deeply personal recollections of brotherly spats, revealed text messages between his wife Meghan and the Princess of Wales during their now infamous bridesmaid dress argument and accused the future King and Queen of endorsing his Nazi costume.

Even still, the royal source says William’s loyalty is ultimately to his country, and he will reconcile if he believes it’s the best thing for the future of the monarchy.

Next month, Harry and Meghan are set to present a segment of Invictus Games weeks after putting on a united front in a TV appearance against cyberbullying. 

The Duchess of Sussex, 42, will enter the stage in September during the closing ceremony of the games. 

Meghan will host the ‘Lifestories Scene’ segment, which provides insight into the bravery and resilience of the injured servicemen and women competing. 

Her contribution will be ‘poignant’ and serve as a testament to the games’ ability to transform lives, organisers said, according to The Telegraph.

Meanwhile Harry will deliver a goodbye speech at the closing ceremony in Düsseldorf, Germany, which is set to take place on September 16. 

The royal will apparently praise the competitors’ ‘unwavering spirit and impressive recovery journey’. 

• Apple’s ‘Wi-Fi Assist’ can dramatically drain battery life and eat up your data
• The tool allows users to hop on to mobile data when networks lag behind 

By Lauren Haughey

Published: 04:41 EDT, 19 August 2023 | Updated: 05:50 EDT, 19 August 2023

It was the trial watched, reviewed, and – perhaps – even skewed around the world. And now, the sensational legal battle between Johnny Depp and his ex-wife Amber Heard will once again be thrown into the spotlight as part of a bombshell new Netflix documentary. 

The April 2022 courtroom tussle between the Pirates of the Caribbean star, 60, and the Aquaman actress, 37, had the nation gripped from the out – with millions tuning in to watch them face off in court over abuse claims that Amber made against Johnny in a 2018 Washington Post op-ed. 

Everything from Johnny and Amber’s outfits to their facial expressions were analyzed by people all across the globe, it seemed as though every gossip site had their faces sprawled across their homepages, and you couldn’t even open apps like TikTok or Twitter without seeing another post about it.

Almost everyone involved became social media sensations – Johnny’s lawyers were turned into celebrities practically over night, and many of those who testified were hailed as heroes by the millions who avidly observed every second.

A wild conspiracy theory even made its away around the web that Johnny and his attorney, Camille Vasquez, were having a secret love affair – which only fueled more interest in the case. 

So what was it that sparked the public’s fierce obsession with the nasty court battle in the first place? Well, aside from involving two of Hollywood’s most elite, the trial contained a slew of bizarre moments that seemed to draw more people in every day.

At one point during the case, Amber’s lawyer accidentally objected to himself. And during another, a witness went viral after he issued an epic clap back to the mother-of-one’s legal team – after they accused him of only testifying because he wanted fame.

On top of the rumored romances, emotional outbursts, dramatic blowouts on the stand, and hilarious mishaps, Johnny and Amber’s bombshell accusations about one another throughout the six-week trial only added to the drama.

Arguably the most shocking moment was when Johnny alleged that Amber had pooped in their bed after they split – and he even provided images of fecal matter spread across his sheets.

The exes took every chance they could to hurl insults at one another. Every day, it seemed as though a another explosive revelation was brought to light and never-before-seen footage and images of the stars gave their fans a brand new look into the tragic and tumultuous relationship.

It was certainly a face-off that felt fit for screens, and now, it has become just that, as Netflix announced earlier this month that a new doc, called Depp v. Heard, will ‘examine the infamous defamation case that captured the world’s attention as the first Trial by TikTok, and question the nature of truth and the role it plays in our modern society.’

As we prepare for the upcoming doc, which will premiere on August 16, FEMAIL went ahead and recapped the most untamed moments from the Johnny and Amber trial – which in the end saw the jury rule in favor of the Edward Scissorhands alum. 

From the most surprising claims that the stars made about one another and the truth surrounding Johnny’s relationship with his lawyer to the star-studded celebrity who took to the stand to defend him and the strange animal that made an appearance – take a look back at the craziest things that went down during the highly-publicized case.

The explosive accusations: Johnny claimed that Amber POOPED in their bed after an argument – while she alleged that he did a ‘cavity search’ on her

Throughout the trial, both Johnny and Amber made a series of shocking accusations about one another.

Arguably the most bizarre was when the actor testified that his ex pooped in the bed they shared after they got into an explosive fight following a dinner for her 30th birthday on April 21, 2016.

He explained that Amber had released a ‘verbal barrage’ against him for being late to the celebration when they got home to their Los Angeles pad.

The star alleged that when he tried to leave, she ‘punched him in the face’ repeatedly before he was able to get out.

He then claimed that the next morning, his bodyguard sent him a photo of ‘human feces’ on the area that he sleeps.

‘On my side of the bed was human fecal matter,’ he told the court. ‘My initial response to that was, I mean, I laughed. It was so bizarre and so grotesque that I could only laugh.’

When he asked Amber about it, he claimed she said that her two dogs, Pistol and Boo, were to blame – but Johnny didn’t believe it.

‘She tried to blame it on the dogs. They’re teacup Yorkies. They weigh about four pounds each,’ he continued. ‘I lived with those dogs. I picked up their funk. It was not the dogs.’ 

A member of Johnny’s security team, Starling Jenkins, also testified that he accompanied Amber on a trip to Coachella the next day, and that he over heard her having ‘a conversation pertaining to the surprise she left in [Johnny’s] bed.’

He claimed her heard her call the incident a ‘horrible practical joke gone wrong.’ 

When Amber took the stand herself days later, she denied the allegations and again insisted that it was caused by one of the canines. 

‘First of all, I don’t think that’s funny. I was not, also, in a pranking mood,’ she said. ‘I don’t know what grown women does… That’s disgusting.’

She added that Boo has ‘bowel control issues’ and that it was Johnny who had ‘attacked’ her during their argument, not the other way around.

Another surprising moment came when Amber claimed that Johnny performed a ‘cavity search’ on her.

She said the incident occurred while they were on vacation together at a trailer park in Hicksville, California, near Joshua Tree, while the actor was searching for drugs.

‘He was looking for something. I went into the bathroom and as I come out he asked me where it is, and how long I’d been hiding it. I was like, “What you talking about?”‘ she testified.

‘[He said], “You know what I’m f**king talking about, be honest with me. Where are you hiding it.”

‘He starts patting me down, he ripped my dress. He’s grabbing my breasts, he’s touching my thighs, he rips my underwear off and then he proceeds to do a cavity search. He said he was looking for his cocaine, his coke. 

‘He just shoved his fingers inside me. I just stood there staring at the stupid light, I didn’t know what to do. He twisted his fingers around. I didn’t stay stop or anything.’ 

Some of the other explosive allegations made during the trial included Amber accusing Johnny of sexually assaulting her with a liquor bottle, and him claiming that she severed his finger after she threw the glass container at him. 

‘Let’s drown her before we burn her’: A series of very-dark texts sent from Johnny to actor Paul Bettany were brought to light during the trial, as well as shocking images of the actor passed out

When Johnny was on the stand, Amber’s lawyers brought up a series of very-dark texts that were sent from him to actor Paul Bettany, in which he claimed he wanted to ‘drown’ his ex before ‘burning her.’

The messages, which were sent in June 2013, read, ‘Let’s drown her before we burn her. I will f**k her burnt corpse afterward to make sure she is dead.’

‘You wrote that about the woman who would later become your wife,’ Amber’s attorney Benjamin Rottenborn asked Johnny, to which eh replied, ‘Yes.’

During the trial, Amber also shared a series of shocking pictures she said she took of Johnny while he was passed out due to intoxication.

‘He’d pass out, get sick, lose control of himself. People would pick him up and clean it and fix it,’ she said. 

‘And he wouldn’t either remember, or he would deny it, or he would accuse me of saying that this had happened when it didn’t. 

‘There was no one to back me up. [It was] just him, his employees, and everyone who had been taking care of him versus my word, and so I started to take pictures [to] say: “Look, this is happening.”‘ 

The jury was also shown a video that Amber had secretly recorded of her ex-husband smashing up his own kitchen cabinets in a drunken rage. 

The actor said of the footage: ‘Clearly I was having a bad time. I don’t know what with regard to, but being illegally recorded by your chosen other is quite fitting with the rest of the photographs and tape recordings.’

‘You’re the one who asked it’: Amber’s attorney was fiercely mocked online after he objected to his own question – leaving Johnny and his lawyers in stitches

One of the most talked about moments of the trial was when Amber’s lawyer Adam Nadelhaft actually objected to his own line of questioning.

The awkward incident occurred while Adam was asking Johnny’s house manager, Ben King, about the finger incident.

‘You didn’t know what could cause damage to Mr. Depp’s hand while you were there on March 8, correct?’ the attorney asked Ben.

But when Ben started to answer, he was quickly cut him off by Adam, who interrupted and said, ‘Objection, hearsay.’ 

‘Wait – you asked the question,’ Judge Penney Azcarate responded, clearly confused. ‘Next question.’

‘Oh, OK,’ a stuttering Adam added, before continuing on with his questioning. 

Johnny and his own lawyers appeared amused by the gaff and chucked to one another. 

It resulted in an uproar of social media posts from people who mocked Adam over his mishap. 

Courtroom romance? Many speculated that Johnny was having a secret love affair with his lawyer, Camille Vasquez, who became an internet sensation after she ‘annihilated’ Amber on the stand

Throughout the trial, many people on the internet became obsessed with Johnny’s lawyer Camille – thanks to her bold behavior in the courtroom, as well as her personal chemistry with the actor. 

Fans even started to wonder if romantic feelings had developed between her and Johnny after they noticed a slew of flirty interactions between them – including whispering in each other’s ears, giggling together, and sharing coy smirks with one another. 

Rumors of a budding romance were fueled after a video of the Pirates of the Caribbean star helping the lawyer untangle her iPhone charger went viral on TikTok. He was also spotted pulling out her chair for her. 

However, body language expert Judi James explained exclusively to DailyMail.com during the trial that the amorous moments between them were most likely not due to a secret affair, but instead, were all part of a plan to make Johnny seem like a ‘romantic hero.’ 

She said that linking him to a ‘fresh, smart, fragrant, and confident-looking woman’ like Camille would ‘destroy’ Amber’s recount of their toxic relationship. 

While Camille is very private when it comes to her personal life, some people on social media also pointed out that she appeared to wear an engagement or wedding ring during her court appearances.

In addition to her rumored romantic connection to Johnny, Camille received a lot of positive attention online after she cross-examined Amber on the stand, with some claiming that she ‘annihilated’ and ‘obliterated’ the star with her questions.

Camille accused Amber of ‘lying’ and pressed her on numerous inconsistencies she had made in her statements, and she even became short with the actress at one point when she started to talk to the jury.

‘There is no question pending so I’d appreciate it if you wouldn’t make an argument to the jury. It’s inappropriate,’ Camille snapped at Amber. 

‘Camille Vasquez is definitely one of the best lawyers I’ve ever seen. She’s absolutely annihilating Amber Heard,’ wrote one person afterwards. 

‘That was an obliteration,’ agreed someone else. ‘Camille Vasquez you queen.’ 

Another added, ‘This is what a real strong independent woman looks like. Camille’s intelligence and talent is so inspiring for women everywhere. She is a true example of strength facing evil.’

‘Camille Vasquez gave Johnny Depp the voice he never had against Amber Heard’s vicious claims,’ gushed a different user. ‘You can tell how much she feels for him and how much she wants justice for him.’ 

After the trial, she landed a job as NBC’s legal analyst. 

The nail in Amber’s coffin: Famous supermodel Kate Moss delivered a sensational blow to the actress’ case against Johnny when she took to the stand to defend her ex

When Johnny’s ex Kate Moss took to the stand to defend him, it was said to be the final nail in the coffin for Amber.

Notoriously-private Kate put aside her infamous hatred of interviews and the media in order to rush to Johnny’s aid in court, delivering a sensational blow to Amber’s case by squashing the actress’ claim that Johnny once pushed her down a flight of stairs.

Amber made the claim while discussing an argument that she allegedly had with Johnny at the top of a staircase, when she said her sister, Whitney Heard, stepped in between them. 

‘She threw herself in the line of fire. She was trying to get Johnny to stop. Her back was to the staircase, and Johnny swings at her,’ she said.

‘I don’t hesitate and wait – I instantly think of Kate Moss and stairs, and I swung at him.’ 

But Kate, who dated the Hollywood heartthrob from 1994 to 1998, testified that Johnny actually helped her after she accidentally slipped and fell down the stairs during a trip they took to Jamaica together. 

‘We were leaving the room and Johnny left the room before I did. There had been a rainstorm and as I left the room I slid down the stairs,’ she recalled. ‘I hurt my back, and I screamed because I didn’t know what had happened.’

She said Johnny came running back to help her, adding that he ‘carried her to her room and got her medical attention.’ 

When asked directly by Johnny’s team if the Pirates of the Caribbean star ever pushed her down the stairs, Kate replied, ‘No.’ 

‘No, he never pushed me, kicked me or threw me down any stairs,’ she told the court. 

The actor and the British entrepreneur were together for just over three years in the ’90s, and when Johnny dumped Kate so he could focus his full attention on his career, she admitted she was devastated for ‘years’ over the breakup.

However, when she took the stand to defend her ex in court, it appeared as though she had nothing but warm feelings towards him, smiling at the mere thought of her past love with the movie star.

Johnny also struggled to contain his joy, letting out a small grin as she spoke to the court room about their ’90s romance.

Many viewers of the trial were quick to notice the exes’ happy compositions throughout the testimony, and they started to suggest that the pair should date again.

Some social media users became convinced that they were going to reignite their former flame, and the internet was flooded with tweets from enthralled Twitter users who called Kate his ‘true love.’

Witnesses turned into celebrities: Many of the people who took to the stand became viral sensations – most notably, the ex TMZ reporter who delivered a ‘savage burn’ to Amber’s lawyer

The trial saw tons more witnesses take to the stand to defend each side, including doctors, experts, friends, and family members – and there were a few other standouts who went viral for the things they said or did while testifying.

Ex TMZ reporter Morgan Tremaine was branded as a ‘king’ by people on the internet after he clapped back at Amber’s lawyer when she accused him of only taking the stand to seek ’15 minutes of fame.’

Morgan, who worked as TMZ’s former field assignment manager, was called by Johnny’s team to discuss a series of photos taken by the gossip site of Amber in 2016.

The pictures in question showed the actress leaving court after filing for a restraining order against Johnny, with what appeared to be a bruise on her cheek. 

According to Morgan, they were tipped off about the photo op – but he didn’t specify who gave them the tip. 

During her cross examination, Amber’s attorney Elaine Bredehoft accused Morgan of speaking out about the matter in an attempt to get attention, but he quickly shut those rumors down.

He insisted that he ‘gained nothing’ from speaking out, and fired back at the lawyer by telling her that he could ‘say the same thing’ about her taking Amber as a client.

‘You know this case is being televised, right?’ Elaine asked Morgan during her cross examination.

‘I am aware that there are cameras,’ he responded.

‘So this gets you your 15 minutes of fame, doesn’t it?’ she then suggested. 

‘I stand to gain nothing from this. I’m actually putting myself in the target of TMZ, a very litigious organization and I’m not seeking any 15 minutes here,’ he fired back.

‘But you’re welcome to speculate. I can say the same thing – by taking Amber Heard as a client – for you.’ 

The journalist’s ‘savage burn’ quickly went viral, and many social media users started vehemently supporting the former TMZ staffer.

Another viral moment came when clinical psychologist Shannon Curry took to the stand, and had to beg Amber’s lawyer to stop questioning her about muffins during a bizarre turn of events. 

The actress’ attorney Elaine tried to claim that Dr. Curry, who was hired to evaluate the stars’ relationship in 2021, was ‘so excited’ to work with the stars that she told her husband about it despite it being ‘highly confidential.’

Elaine said she could prove that Dr. Curry broke the confidentiality rules because she brought Amber some muffins that she said were courtesy of her husband when they met up in December 2021.

‘May I clarify what occurred so that we can stop talking about the muffins?’ the psychologist snapped to Elaine after she made the accusation.

‘What happened was, I was getting ready that morning, I frequently bring muffins to the office. 

‘My husband did happen to know that there was going to be a celebrity client coming in because on the morning that that occurs, which often occurs, we have to actually clear the office and move the staff to the other office.

‘So yes, on the one hand, he was aware of that. I was getting ready, I asked him to go to the bakery near our house and pick up the muffins for me because I was running late – he often has to do that because I often do run late.

‘He brought the muffins back to the house, I brought them into the office, Ms. Heard and I enjoyed the muffins together.

‘I think I made a comment to her along the lines of “my husband got these for us today,” meaning he purchased the muffins we are now enjoying them because of him.’

The internet was also entertained when Johnny’s doorman started vaping and driving his car in the middle of his testimony, which was done via video chat.

‘The REAL stars of the trial’: Johnny’s supporters brought live alpacas to the courtroom to show their support for the actor 

A very bizarre animal even made an appearance at the trial. Every day, a slew of supporters lined up outside the courthouse in the hopes of getting a glimpse of Johnny – and some even brought live alpacas with them. 

The mammal was symbolic in the case since it was used in a quote from Johnny about his relationship with Disney after Amber released her op-ed about him in 2018. 

Days after the article came out, he was dropped by the company, and the actor reportedly claimed at the time that he would not return for another Pirates movie even if Disney offered him $300 million and a million alpacas. 

So fans decided to bring the animal to court in an attempt to show their support – and many people on the web were very entertained by it.

‘The real stars of this trial… the ALPACAS,’ joked one Twitter user. 

Another said, ‘I hope that we can learn at least one thing from this trial: Don’t underestimate the power of one man and a few alpacas.’

Johnny’s lawyer was even spotted bringing a stuffed alpaca with him into the courtroom.

‘I’ll sure miss the alpacas,’ read a third tweet after the trial came to an end.

‘[The alpacas were] the best moment of the entire thing,’ agreed a different user.

Disney+ announces Netflix-style crackdown on password sharing and a new ad-based streaming option for UK users as it fights to reverse falling profits

• Streaming giant is to launch a new, advert-based streaming option for UK users
• It will cost £4.99 per month, with a standard option at £7.99 and premium £10.99

By Sam Tonkin

Published: 08:04 EDT, 10 August 2023 | Updated: 08:05 EDT, 10 August 2023