The end of the ninth day of the trial between Johnny Depp and Amber Heard was tough. The business dimension was also examined to determine the exact course of events. Agent Christian Carino said via video testimony that allegations of domestic violence against Depp nearly destroyed his career. Even the long-time parade role as chief pirate Jack Sparrow would ultimately be lost for him.
Carino, who temporarily steered the fortunes of Depp AND Heard, reported growing difficulties in keeping the star actor in Hollywood. Ultimately, the Disney studios also refrained from casting Johnny Depp in the sixth part of the pirate saga.
“It’s something within the industry that is understood”
In the US industry magazine “Deadline”, Carino is quoted as saying: “In my opinion, it was related to the allegations that Amber had made”, although those responsible, including producer legend Jerry Bruckheimer (“Top Gun”, “Beverly Hills Cops”) never explicitly commented on this. But from “conversations with colleagues and studio managers – internally and externally” he would have clearly received the spell on Depp. “It’s something within the industry that is understood,” he stressed.
In cross-examination, however, Heard’s lawyer Elaine Bredehoft made it clear that this was an “assessment” and not a certified rejection by Bruckheimer and Co.
Especially with regard to the pending claims for damages, meticulous attention is paid to details. Depp said last week that he would never return to the Pirates franchise. Even if Disney offered him “$300 million and up.” According to “Deadline”, Depp’s lawyers presented a digital memo that his then PR agency had sent to Carino in late 2018: It was becoming apparent that he would lose his role in the “Pirates”.
As a reminder, in December 2018, Heard wrote a personal post in the Washington Post about experiences of violence in her marriage. Since then, lawsuits and counterclaims have escalated. The former dream couple, who were married between 2015 and 2017, are mutually demanding damages. Depp demands 50 million from Heard because of serious career damage.
Heard responded with a counterclaim demanding $100 million. She accuses him of “unbridled physical violence”. The process for the specific incident from May 2016 is ongoing. The final dispute between Depp and Heard led to the divorce and started the avalanche of allegations with great force.