Johnny Depp’s career and finances were already in trouble before his thenwife Amber Heard accused him of domestic violence in 2016, according to his exagent and manager.
Tracey Jacobs, Depp’s former agent, said the actor “became the biggest star on earth” in the three decades he represented him in Hollywood. But the Pirates of the Caribbean protagonist’s reputation began to decline after 2010 due to his “unprofessional behavior,” he said.
This United Talent Agency (UTA) agent gave recorded testimony at the trial of the defamation lawsuit Depp, 58, filed against his exwife, 36.
Heard, who sought a restraining order against Depp for alleged domestic violence prior to the divorce, wrote an opinion piece published in The Washington Post in December 2018, much less describing himself as a “public figure who represents domestic violence.” from the husband, designated.
The actor has sued her for implying he was an abuser, seeking $50 million in damages. The protagonist of the film “Aquaman” countersued, seeking $100 million and claiming that she suffered “physical violence and rampant abuse.”
During the four days he spent testifying, Depp denied physical aggression and asserted that his exwife was the violent part of the relationship.
Depp’s lawyers claim the domestic violence allegations have damaged their client’s reputation. However, his former agent assured that the actor had already started to decline before that.
Jacobs explained that Depp’s “unprofessional behavior” includes drug and alcohol use, as well as “consistently being late in virtually every film.”
“Production teams don’t like to wait hours and hours and hours for the star to show up,” he explained. “It’s a small community and that has made people reluctant to come to him,” he said.
She claimed Depp was in such “financial desperation” in January 2016 that he contacted the agency to demand $20 million.
“The proposal wasn’t phrased as a loan,” he said, adding that his partners told Depp the company was “not a bank” even though they helped him get a loan through Bank of America.
‘Extremely concerned’ In return, Josh Mandel, Depp’s former manager, was asked about the actor’s finances.
He replied that he was “extremely concerned” about Depp’s financial situation in 2015.
There have been “constant” discussions with the actor to reduce his spending, but that “never happened,” he added.
“Over time, it became apparent that he had problems with alcohol and drugs,” and “this led to more erratic behavior,” he said.
At one point, Depp was spending $300,000 a month on fulltime employees and another $100,000 a month on a doctor and nurses to ensure his sobriety, he stated.
Mandel estimated that Depp made around $600 million over the decades he represented him.
The threetime Oscarnominated actor fired Mandel, who was suing him, in 2016, although the two reached an agreement in 2018.
Depp also fired Jacobs in 2016. When asked why, she said, “I don’t really know. All I know is that he broke up with pretty much everyone in his life.”
Depp’s attorneys have subpoenaed experts to testify that the actor lost millions of dollars over domestic violence allegations, including $22.5 million for the sixth film in the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise.
The actor is suing his exwife in the United States after losing a defamation case in London when he attacked British tabloid The Sun for calling him an “abusive husband”.
Heard and Depp met on the set of Diary of a Drunken Journalist in 2009 and married in February 2015. Their divorce was finalized two years later.
Judge Penney Azcarate has scheduled closing arguments in the case for May 27. Then the jury deliberates.