Johnny Depp claims that he was acting out of self-defense when he attacked a location manager on the set of his upcoming film City of Lies.
In new court documents obtained by The Blast, Pirates of the Caribbean star Johnny Depp is claiming self-defense in a lawsuit brought against him in July by Gregg “Rocky” Brooks after Depp allegedly attacked him in April of 2017.
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Although Depp, 55, does not deny the attack, he alleges that he feared for his own safety as well as the safety of director Brad Furman and claims that the alleged assault was out of self-defense and the “defense of others.” Depp also asks for the case to be dismissed and for Brooks not to receive any of the money that he is seeking in the lawsuit.
In court filings, Brooks, who had been working as a location manager for the film, alleged that Depp grew volatile and repeatedly punched him after being informed that filming for the night would have to wrap due to a permit restriction.
“Who the f— are you? You have no right to tell me what to do,” Books claimed Depp yelled during the encounter. “I will give you $100,000 to punch me in the face right now.”
In his lawsuit, Brooks also stated that Depp smelled of alcohol and had to be dragged away from the altercation by bodyguards. Brooks was reportedly fired three days after the incident when he refused to sign a release on the incident.
City of Lies director Brad Furman has since called the allegations “exaggerated” and stated that while “we all love stories, there isn’t one here.” He also said that Depp “is a consummate professional, great collaborator and a supporter of other artists. He always treats the crew and people around him with the utmost respect.”
Depp’s attorney has also responded to the lawsuit, stating that “all of the claims made by the location manager are absurd. We will prove that as we fight this case.”
Brooks is suing Depp for unspecified damages related to a hostile work environment, wrongful termination, and retaliation from Depp, as well as director Brad Furman and Infinitum Nihil — Depp’s production company.
Amid the assault investigation, Global Road, the distributor for City of Lies, pulled the film from their release list. No new release date for City of Lies, a drama- thriller about a Los Angeles police officer investigating the death of Biggie Smalls, has been announced.
