Johnny Depp‘s viability as an actor has become a topic in his defamation case against the ex-wife Amber Heard. Depp is suing Heard for $ 50 million over 2018 Washington Post op-ed, in which she identified herself as a survivor of domestic violence. Depp has denied the allegations she made against him. (Heard, who did not mention Depp in his piece, is seeking $ 100 million.)
In a pre-recorded testimony shown to the courtroom Wednesday, Heard’s former agent Christian Carino, who also served as Depp’s agent for a period, testified that Depp lost his role in Pirates of the Caribbean 6 due to Heard’s allegations. “My opinion is that it was related to the accusations that Amber has made,” he said. Carino clarified that he had not spoken to anyone associated with Pirates franchise other than manufacturer Jerry Bruckheimer, who did not specifically say that Depp was thrown out of the series because of the accusations. Carino’s belief in Depp’s career is the result of “conversations with colleagues and study leaders … internal and external,” the agent said. He added: “There is something within the industry that is understood.”
Depp’s undulating career has been a recurring theme throughout his defense. “It’s been six years of trying times,” the Oscar nominee, who started the role of Jack Sparrow, the protagonist of Pirates series, in 2003, said during his testimony on April 19. “It’s quite strange when one day you are Cinderella, so to speak, so 0.6 seconds [later] you are Quasimodo. I did not deserve it, nor did my children, nor the people who have believed in me all these years. I did not want any of those people to think that I had done them wrong or lied to them, or that I was a cheater. I’m proud of honesty. ”
In his opening statement, Depp’s lawyer said Benjamin Chew, argued for this narrative, saying: “For almost 30 years, Mr. Depp built a reputation as one of the most talented actors in Hollywood, a respected artist whose name was successfully associated with the box office. Today, his name is associated with a lie, a false statement made by his ex-wife. “
During his testimony, Depp said his career reached new heights after his role in The Pirates of the Caribbean, but that Disney severed ties with him less than a week after Heard released his op-ed. Heard’s lawyer, Ben Rottenborn, claimed that any professional accident was Depp’s own fault. “Johnny Depp’s reputation is shattered,” Rottenborn said. “His career is in free fall, but it is because of problems he has created, problems for which he is responsible. And he’s here in court asking you to blame Amber for them, but it’s not Amber’s fault. They are from the choices he made. “
During cross-examination, Rottenborn referred to an October 2018 Daily mail article reporting that Depp was out as Jack Sparrow – published two months before his client’s op-ed appeared in Washington Post. “I was not aware of it, but it does not surprise me,” Depp testified. “It’s been two years of constant worldwide talk that I’m this womanizer. So I’m sure Disney was trying to cut ties to be safe. The #MeToo movement was in full swing at the time,” he said. he with reference to Heard’s first restraining order against him in 2016.
Depp’s position in Pirates film was not the only project affected by the accusations. He was released from his obligations to Amazing beasts franchise after losing an injury case where grim details surfaced The sunwho had called Depp a “wife hitman” by 2020. Variety reported at the time that AT & T’s merger with Warner Bros. ‘ the parent company, Time Warner, led to less tolerance for “courtesy of Mercury – but historically popular – talent like Depp.” Warner Bros. replaced Depp with Mads Mikkelsen in the recently released third part of Amazing beasts but Depp paid his entire salary of $ 16 million after recording only one scene.
During an interview with UK’s Sunday Times August last year, Depp claimed that Hollywood had boycotted him, citing the long-delayed release of his film Minamata. The film, in which he plays the American photojournalist W. Eugene Smith, had a meager cinema premiere earlier this year after being discontinued for more than a year.