Johnny Depp’s ‘star dimmed’ due to his unprofessional behaviour, asked agency for $ 20 million, says ex-agent

Johnny Depp’s former agent on Thursday testified that the actor’s ‘star power dimmed’ as word spread about his unprofessional on-set behavior and drug use. During a taped deposition in the ongoing Amber Heard vs. Johnny Depp trial, she spoke of how she helped the actor build a stellar career, only for him to throw it all away due to his drugs and alcohol abuse. Read more: Man gets a laughing fit during Amber Heard-Johnny Depp’s trial, viewers say ‘dude is representing entire internet‘

Ex-agent, Tracey Jacobs of United Talent Agency (UTA), said that Johnny’s star power declined over the years due to his behaviour. According to Variety, in her statement, she also recounted that at one point the actor said he needed money and asked his agency to give him $20 million. She said that the actor had a meeting with UTA CEO Jeremy Zimmer and Chairman Jim Berkus, in which they declined to do that. “They said we’re not in a position to give our clients that kind of money… We’re not a bank,” she said.

In her video deposition, Tracey said that over the last 10 years of her representation of him, Johnny would habitually show up late to set, thereby building a reputation that made it harder to get jobs for him. She said that although initially crews loved him, as he was great with them, but they did not appreciate “sitting around for hours and hours and hours waiting for the star to show up.” According to her, Johnny was “showing up late to set consistently on virtually every movie.”

In addition, she said an increased use of alcohol and drugs made it more difficult for Johnny to get hired. “His star had dimmed due to it getting harder to get him jobs… People were talking. The question was out there about his behaviour,” she said.

Joel Mandel, Johnny Depp’s former business manager, also testified on Thursday via video that the actor began to lead a “bigger” and “more expensive life” after the success of Pirates of the Caribbean in 2003. He said that in 2015, he warned Johnny that he was in “dire” financial condition, and urged him to cut back on his spending, but Johnny fired him in March 2016, and later sued him. Joel’s company countersued, alleging that Johnny was responsible for his financial problems. That litigation was settled in 2018.

Johnny Depp is suing his ex-wife Amber Heard for $50 million over a 2018 Washington Post op-ed, in which she described herself as “a public figure representing domestic abuse.” The actor said he was defamed by the allegations, even though his name was never mentioned in Amber’s essay. Amber is countersuing the actor for $100 million, claiming his lawyers defamed her by mounting a “smear campaign” against her at his direction.