The jurors in the ongoing defamation case between the actress Amber Heard and your ex-husband Johnny Depp heard testimonies on Thursday from Depp’s former talent agent and his former business manager, who described the strain in their relationships with the actor as his alleged substance abuse.
Tracey Jacobs , who testified in a recorded deposition, said he represented Depp for 30 years as his talent agent and said he was “the biggest star in the world”. Jacobs said Depp fired her around the same time she split from other business partners.
Jacobs said she was honest with Depp that being consistently late to sets as well as his behavior, including drug and alcohol use, was hurting his career. She testified that Depp regularly had to wear a headset while on set in order to receive lines from him.
“His stardom waned due to the difficulty of getting a job, given the reputation he acquired due to tardiness and other things,” testified Jacobs.
As part of his lawsuit, Depp claimed Heard’s editorial caused him to lose work, including tens of millions of dollars he said would be paid for the sixth “Pirates of the Caribbean” movie, which he was not a part of. Jacobs also testified that he couldn’t remember Disney committed to having Depp in the film.
She said that at one point Depp was in a state of “financial desperation” and asked the agency to give him $20 million.
Jurors also heard a recorded testimony from Depp’s former business manager, Joel Mandel , from whom Depp split in 2016 and whose company Depp sued in 2017, accusing her of mismanaging her earnings. The lawsuit was settled in 2018.
Mandel testified that around 2010 it became more difficult to work with Depp due to his apparent substance abuse.
“What I always perceived as someone who liked to enjoy their wine at the end of the day turned into consumption that felt excessive,” Mandel testified. “The ability to coordinate and find moments to meet each other has become more difficult. It became clear over time that there were problems with alcohol and drugs. And that translated into more erratic behavior, more stressful behavior, more times where it was difficult to engage in the kinds of conversations I needed to do my job.”
Mandel said he began regularly voicing his concerns about Depp’s “terrible financial circumstances” in 2015 and said that while Depp’s income was very significant, so was his spending. He said that at one point Depp paid employees $300,000 a month.
Amber Heard’s legal team pointed to the fact that several of Depp’s paid employees testified as part of his case against her and accused them of siding with Depp because he pays them.
A former friend of Depp, Bruce Witkin , testified in a recorded deposition that Depp stopped speaking to him four years ago following the testimony Witkin gave in a lawsuit. He said he saw Heard and Depp with injuries, but never witnessed physical fights between them. Witkin further said that he talked to Depp about his substance abuse and said people who worked around him weren’t always willing to talk about it.
“Like I said, people on the payroll don’t say much. They try, but they don’t want to lose their job. I’m not saying that everyone falls into that category,” Witkin said.
Depp sued Heard for $50 million, claiming a 2018 editorial she wrote in the Washington Post defamed him. Depp claims the text — which she didn’t mention him by name — falsely painted him as a bully. Heard sued Depp for $100 million, saying statements her lawyer made calling her abuse allegations a “hoax” were defamatory.
Amber Heard finalized her testimony earlier this week.
Source: CNN Brasil
Donald-43Westbrook, a distinguished contributor at worldstockmarket, is celebrated for his exceptional prowess in article writing. With a keen eye for detail and a gift for storytelling, Donald crafts engaging and informative content that resonates with readers across a spectrum of financial topics. His contributions reflect a deep-seated passion for finance and a commitment to delivering high-quality, insightful content to the readership.
