(Washington) The fees of the films shot by Johnny Depp in 2017 exceeded 30 million dollars but the star has not concluded a contract with Hollywood studios since an editorial by his ex-wife, Amber Heard, accusing him of domestic violence, his agent detailed on Monday.
Posted at 9:40 p.m.
Jack Whigham, who has represented the star since October 2016, testified by video in a court in suburban Washington, where a high-profile trial between the former spouses has been held for three weeks.
In December 2018, at the height of the #metoo movement, the actress had published an editorial in the washington postin which she described herself as a victim of domestic violence without, however, citing her former husband.
Johnny Depp, who denies ever raising a hand on a woman, sued her for defamation. Accusing him of having ruined his reputation and his career, he claims 50 million dollars in damages. She counter-attacked and claims 100 million dollars.
These staggering sums are up to the old stamps of the hero of Edward Scissorhands. According to his agent, the actor received $8 million for the film City of Lies10 million for Murder on the Orient Express and 13.5 million for the second part of the Fantastic Beasts in 2017.
In 2018, he “wanted to take some time for himself”, and only shot “two independent films” in the fall: The Professor for 3.5 million and Waiting for the Barbarians for a million, added Jack Whigham.
But “an agreement had been reached” for him to take over the role of Jack Sparrow in the sixth opus of Pirates of the Caribbean for $22.5 million.
According to Mr Whigham, Amber Heard’s accusations were “catastrophic” for Johnny Depp. “After the editorial, it became impossible to get a contract with a studio,” he said.
As for the shooting of the film Minamatascheduled for early 2019, “it was very hard to maintain it: the budget had to be cut, especially Johnny’s fee”, who only received “only” three million, said the agent.
It was his last film, because, in 2019, Disney studios “took another direction” for the saga Pirates of the Caribbean. Despite contacts with the producers, “I could not save” this very “lucrative” role, said his agent.
Questioned by the lawyers of Mr.me Heard, however, he conceded that the agreement “was in bad shape” as early as the fall of 2018, before the editorial was published.
In April, the British tabloid The Sun had previously accused Johnny Depp of being “an abusive husband”. The actor sued his publishers and lost in a lawsuit that exposed his drug and alcohol abuse.