‘Am I 68? 69?’ Irvine Welsh on growing old, getting clean, bashing out his new novel – and flirting with guns

Three decades after he channelled his heroin addiction into the cult classic Trainspotting, the Scottish author has discovered the joys of yoga, breathwork and standing desks. But is he quite as ‘Zen’ as he claims? By rights, Irvine Welsh ought to be photographed somewhere gritty, looking grumpy, he says: “That’s the brand.” Beside a graffitied wall or at the docks, with a beanie pulled low, and definitely not smiling. But here he is, clear-skinned and wholesome in shorts and a T-shirt, drinking tea and – it’s hard to think of anything more off-brand – talking about the health benefits of yoga. Given his reputation for having lived in the worlds his books portray, he should or could look a lot worse. He guffaws at this, eyes a delighted blue, and repeats the phrase as if he’s found a new personal tagline: “Could look a lot worse!” Over the three decades since his cult debut, Trainspotting, was published in 1993, Welsh’s fiction has explored with humour the darker side of life. Drugs, c...

Johnny Depp missed his chance to dismiss Amber Heard’s counterclaim

Johnny Depp missed his chance to dismiss Amber Heard's counterclaim. Litigation between the spouses is gaining new momentum. On Tuesday, a Virginia judge denied Johnny Depp's motion to dismiss Amber Heard's counterclaim, ruling that the jury should decide the matter. In a counterclaim, Hollywood pet lawyer Adam Waldman tarnished the actress' honor and caused irreparable damage to her career when he accused Amber and her friends of hoaxing violence by accusing the actress of having a personality disorder. On Tuesday morning, representatives of the ex-wife in court came up with their arguments, which prompted Johnny's team to file a motion to dismiss the lawsuit. However, Depp's lawyer, Ben Chu, argued that Waldman had expressed his opinion. Therefore, he could not defame after the actor's representative claimed that there was no evidence that DEPP allegedly saw or knew about Waldman's statements before filing a counterclaim. "He believed, and will continue to believe until his death, that Ms. Heard's allegations of abuse were false," Chu said. But Ben Rottenborn of the team heard claims that Waldman acted as their adversary's lawyer and that Depp is therefore responsible for his behavior. He also stated that there was ample evidence that Johnny abused Heard, and consequently, the decision to award damages in the counterclaim should be left to the jury. Judge Penny Azkarate nevertheless rejected Depp's application, saying that it was not her job to assess the credibility or weight of the evidence. And Amber's representatives did the same after the actor's team dropped the case on May 3. The Hollywood talent filed a lawsuit against the ex-wife for her previous allegations of domestic violence in a Washington Post article in December 2018. However, the judge made it clear that the jury would have to decide on both Depp's lawsuit and Heard's counterclaim.

from Celebrity Insider https://ift.tt/jdg0PNi
via IFTTT https://ift.tt/el4YIna

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

The Miracle Club review – Maggie Smith can’t save this rocky road trip to Lourdes

‘I lost a friend of almost 40 years’: Nancy Meyers pays tribute to Diane Keaton

Malaika Arora scolds 16-year-old dancer for inappropriate gestures: “He is winking, giving flying kisses”