Johnny Depp’s $ 50 million defamation case against his ex-wife Amber Heard entered its 12th day of testimony in a courtroom in Virginia on Monday, a day after Heard was announced to have fired her PR team.
Jurors were told that after Hurd made allegations of domestic violence against Depp in 2016, his film work and income dropped dramatically.
Depp agent Jack Wigham testified that in 2017, the actor made three studio and two independent films with royalties of about $ 35 million, but in 2018 he made only two independent films for royalties of $ 4 million.
Wigham said that for one of these films, Minamata, funding had become “volatile” and Depp was forced to give up his fee “to save the film.”
Disney, which Depp had scheduled for the sixth installment of the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise, was “going the other way,” Wigham said. Depp, who was to receive $ 23 million plus a share of the profits, had to be replaced by Margo Robbie.
“I couldn’t save pirates for Johnny,” Wigham said.
“After the publication, it was impossible to provide him with a studio film,” Wigham said, citing a Washington Post article in the Defamation Center in which Hurd said she had survived domestic and sexual abuse.
“As for Johnny, it was catastrophic,” Wigham said.
In cross-examination, Wigham said the article had become “a death knell, a catastrophic thing for Mr. Depp in the Hollywood community.” Depp has not made a film, he said, since July 2020.
Richard Marx, a film salesman whose job he said was to help customers “get to” and make a successful deal, said Hurd’s accusations against Depp ultimately created a “cancellation situation” for Depp.
Marx said that studios have always come to terms with the idiosyncratic behavior of their stars.
“Johnny Depp has a reputation as Johnny Depp. When you hire Johnny Depp, you get all of Johnny Depp – and that includes the delay. ” Hollywood, he said, “just puts up with the ‘wildlife and drugs’ when it comes to money, big stars and artistry.”
But the accusations made by Hurd made him virtually unemployed. “In the last five years, especially with the #MeToo movement, you wouldn’t want to hire an actor who has been ‘canceled.’ “Right now, the pinnacle of negativity in Hollywood is being accused of domestic or sexual violence,” Marx said.
“You wouldn’t want to pay to hire an actor with the negativity that follows them. “You don’t want to pay to take down your brand,” he added.
Earlier, testimony was presented to the court by Travis McGivern, a member of Depp’s security team who often worked the night shift.
The choreography of the controversy at Depp and Hurd’s five penthouses in Los Angeles has once again come to the fore, as McGivern testified that he saw Hurd punch Depp in the face after he and Depp’s nurse were called at 4 p.m. one morning in April 2016
McGivern said Hurd threw a box of Red Bull at Depp from the second level, hitting him on the back.
“She threw a bag or purse, spat it out, a very verbal ulcer,” McGivern said.
“Usually, Mrs. Hurd focused her feelings on Mr. Depp,” he added, as the frequency of disputes increased to “several times a week.”
McGivern said Depp never reacted physically. As verbal insults continued, Depp “gave as well as he received,” he said.
The abuse, he said, could include “anything and everything … the word f is my favorite word, but it was thrown to the point that I was uncomfortable.”
That night, McGivern said, Hurd left and returned with his sister Whitney as he tried to get Depp out. Until then, he said, Depp had dumped Hurd’s clothes and accessories from a third-floor balcony.
McGivern said both Hurd and Depp were “excited.” Usually, he said, Depp grabs framed letters from Hunter C. Thompson or Marlon Brando before returning to his North Sweetzer house, which was once owned by Bella Lugoshi.
McGivern said he was standing between Depp and Hurd when I saw a fist and a hand in the corner of my eye crossing my right shoulder. I heard and saw a closed fist touch Mr. Depp on the left side of his face.
McGivern testified that Hurd was the one who struck and that Depp had a “shock” expression on his face. The actor had a “nice little glow,” he said.
Depp’s lawyers will conclude their presentation on Tuesday. On Wednesday, Hurd is expected to defend himself against Depp’s $ 50 million defamation lawsuit and oppose his own $ 100 million lawsuit for defamation.
On Sunday, it was announced that Hurd had fired her team at Precision Strategies. She reportedly hired another company, Shane Communications. One source told the New York Post about the change, while another said the Aquaman actor was “disappointed that her story was not told effectively.”
In the United States, the domestic violence hotline is 1-800-799-SAFE (7233). In the United Kingdom, call the National Domestic Violence Helpline on 0808 2000 247 or visit Women’s Aid. In Australia, the National Domestic Violence Counseling Service is available at 1800 737 732. Other international helplines can be found at www.befrienders.org.
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