Johnny Depp's agent has said Amber Heard's op-ed made it 'impossible' for him to get a studio movie.
The Pirates of The Caribbean star is suing his ex-wife over an article she wrote for the Washington Post in 2018 in which she claimed she was a survivor of domestic abuse.
Though the piece didn't name Depp, he argues that it was clearly a reference to their relationship and is suing her for $50 million.
Advert
Heard has filed a counter claim of $100m against the defamation suit.
Today, Monday (2 May), saw Depp's talent manager Jack Whigham asked about the impact the op-ed had on his career, claiming that he was set to receive $22.5m to star in Pirates of The Caribbean 6.
He said: "After the op-ed it was impossible to get him a studio film.
"It was a first-person account coming from the victim. It became a death-knell catastrophic thing for Mr. Depp in the Hollywood community.
Advert
"The op-ed came out in December (2018) right as we were going on Christmas break.
"Minimata was supposed to start (showing) in January (2019). It was very, very difficult to keep Minimata together.
"The financing became shaky, Johnny's fee came down in order to save the movie."
Advert
On cross-examination, Heard's legal team claimed that the figure of $22.5m was never formally proposed to Depp and that Disney was already thinking of moving away from him prior to the op-ed coming out.
However, Whigham said he had been hopeful of turning the tide.
He said: "It was trending badly in the late fall on behalf of Disney.
"But Jerry Bruckheimer and I were lobbying to make it happen, and so we had hope. And it became clear to me in early 2019 that it was over."
Advert
Meanwhile, Drew Barrymore has taken to social media to apologise for comments she made about Depp and Heard's defamation trial.
Talking about it on her her talk show The Drew Barrymore Show, the actor said: "It’s like one layer of crazy, it’s a seven-layer dip of insanity. I know that these are two people’s real lives and I know what it’s like to have your life put out in public.
"I understand all the feelings, but they are actually offering up this information that nobody had to know. This is crazy!"
Advert
Following her remarks, Barrymore received a wave of criticism, with some viewers calling her 'insensitive'.
In a video posted on her Instagram account, she said: "It has come to my attention that I have offended people with making light of Johnny Depp and Amber Heard and for that I just want to deeply apologise and appreciate everyone who spoke out because this can be a teachable moment for me and how I move forward and how I conduct myself.
"I can be a more thoughtful and better person moving forward because all I want to do is be a good person and I very much appreciate the depth of this and I will grow and change from it.
"And I thank everyone helping me grow along the way and teaching me. Thank you."
Topics: Johnny Depp, Amber Heard, US News
Dominic Smithers