Johnny Depp’s and Amber Heard’s former talent agent testified that he wasn’t aware of any film roles that Mr Depp may have lost as a result of his ex-wife’s 2018 op-ed.
But talent agent Christian Carino added that he believes Ms Heard’s allegations of abuse cost Mr Depp the job of playing Captain Jack Sparrow in the sixth instalment of the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise.
The defamation trial between Mr Depp and Ms Heard began on Monday 11 April in Fairfax, Virginia following Mr Depp’s lawsuit against his ex-wife in March 2019. Mr Depp is arguing that she defamed him in the December 2018 op-ed published in The Washington Post titled “I spoke up against sexual violence — and faced our culture’s wrath. That has to change”.
Ms Heard’s lawyer Elaine Bredehost asked Mr Carino, who previously represented both Mr Depp and Ms Heard, what specific legal case most affected Mr Depp’s career.
“My opinion is that Amber’s accusations would have had the most dramatic impact on his off-screen reputation. I’m not talking about any one specific accusation,” Mr Carino, who began working for Mr Depp in late 2016, said.
When asked to clarify what he meant by “accusations”, he said, “I mean the things she’s accused Johnny of doing ... that have been made public”.
Ms Bredehoft asked Mr Carino if he knows how an article in The Sun newspaper, that prompted an earlier libel trial in the UK, affected Mr Depp’s career, to which Mr Carino said he didn’t know.
He also said he didn’t know that the 2018 op-ed in The Post cost Mr Depp any film work.
Ms Bredehoft asked Mr Carino if Mr Depp has lost any film roles since he started working for the actor.
“I would say yes,” he said. “The next Pirates movie.” He noted that Mr Depp has played Jack Sparrow in five previous films in the franchise and that he thinks he lost the part in the sixth film because of the allegations of abuse levelled by Ms Heard.
He added that he bases this belief on conversations he’s had with people in the film industry. He recalled speaking to Pirates producer Jerry Bruckheimer, and that Disney was having issues with hiring Mr Depp.
Ms Bredehoft asked if Mr Bruckheimer said why Disney had problems with employing Mr Depp.
“No, not specifically, but it was understood,” Mr Carino said, adding that he didn’t ask because he didn’t feel the need to.
“Everyone was aware,” he said, adding that he was referring to those involved in making the decision. He clarified that Mr Bruckheimer didn’t say “specifically” that Mr Depp was being dropped from the film because of the allegations.
Ms Bredehoft asked Mr Carino if he asked Mr Bruckheimer if there was anything Mr Depp could do to make himself more acceptable for Disney.
“In cases like this, there is nothing anybody can do. It is the directive of the studio ... they have the sole right to make the judgement” on if they can hire somebody.
The agent said he was told that “the decision had been made”.
Mr Carino was asked if he was aware of the fighting that occurred in Australia between Ms Heard and Mr Depp in 2015, which led to Mr Depp’s finger being severed. He was also asked by Ms Bredehoft if he aware of Mr Depp drinking or using drugs or being tardy.
“I’m aware of him being tardy ... but he’s been tardy on everything in his entire life,” Mr Carino said.
The agent spoke to Mr Depp’s lawyer in March of this year. During that deposition, he said he ceased working for Mr Depp “within the past two years”.
He later added that the friendship ended “probably when the legal disputes started”.
In her 2018 op-ed, Ms Heard wrote that “like many women, I had been harassed and sexually assaulted by the time I was of college age. But I kept quiet — I did not expect filing complaints to bring justice. And I didn’t see myself as a victim”.
“Then two years ago, I became a public figure representing domestic abuse, and I felt the full force of our culture’s wrath for women who speak out,” she added at the time.
While Mr Depp isn’t named in the piece, his legal team argues that it contains a “clear implication that Mr Depp is a domestic abuser”, which they say is “categorically and demonstrably false”. Mr Depp is seeking damages of “not less than $50m”.
Ms Heard has filed a $100m counterclaim against Mr Depp for nuisance and immunity from his allegations.
