Johnny Depp will be staying out of the courtroom this month, as his lawyers were able to reach a settlement with the City of Lies crew member who accused the actor of assault in 2017.
The film’s location manager Gregg (Rocky) Brooks filed the lawsuit in 2018, claiming Depp punched him twice on set, and offered him US$100,000 to punch the actor in return.
According to Variety, the civil trial was scheduled for July 25 in Los Angeles. On Monday, notice of the settlement was sent to the judge.
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The terms of the settlement are not yet known.
In the lawsuit, Brooks alleged Depp, 59, became upset when he informed the actor that the permits to film for the night at the Barclay Hotel in downtown Los Angeles had expired.
He claimed Depp had wanted to film a longer version of a scene — and Brooks was able to get two extensions to accommodate — but by 11 p.m., filming had to cease.
When the location manager told director Brad Furman, according to the lawsuit, he replied, “Why don’t you tell that to Johnny Depp?”
Brooks then reportedly asked a police officer to help him tell Depp that filming had to stop for the night.
According to the lawsuit, Brooks claimed Depp became hostile and asked, “Who the f—k are you? You have no right to tell me what to do!”
Brooks alleged that Depp punched him twice in the ribs before shouting, “I will give you $100,000 to punch me in the face right now!”
The crew member claimed he could smell alcohol on the actor’s breath and that Depp had taken drugs while on set.
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Brooks was reportedly fired from City of Lies after refusing to sign paperwork that said he would not sue over the alleged incident, according to the legal filing.
The lawsuit is expected to be dismissed once the settlement is completed and approved by both parties.
Less than two months ago, the Pirates of the Caribbean actor won a defamation case against his ex-wife Amber Heard. He was awarded US$10.35 million in damages, though Heard has requested a mistrial.
Camille Vasquez, who worked on Depp’s team of lawyers during the defamation trial, also represented Depp in the City of Lies assault case.
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