Johnny Depp settles assault case with film location manager who accused the actor of punching him in the ribs, firing him for refusing to stay silent

Johnny Depp will not be going back to court after settling an assault case with a film location manager who accused the actor of punching him in the ribs and verbally abusing him in 2017, according to court documents. The suit, the first since his high-profile case against ex-wife Amber Heard , was settled for an undisclosed amount. In the complaint, Brooks claimed that on April 13, 2017, when he informed Depp about filming restrictions for the movie’s set, Depp became irate and verbally and physically abused him.

Depp denied the allegations. The film location manager, Gregg Rocky Brooks, had alleged in a civil complaint filed in Los Angeles Superior Court that Depp hit him twice in the ribs and then yelled, “I’ll give you $100,000 to punch me right now!” while on the set of the film “The Labyrinth,” in Los Angeles. Brooks sued Depp for undisclosed damages, alleging assault, emotional distress, wrongful termination, and retaliation.

Brooks alleged that Depp’s breath “reeked of alcohol,” and that Depp’s bodyguards had to physically restrain the actor after he attacked Brooks. Brooks also claimed he was fired for refusing to stay silent about the incident. “On the Monday following the incident, April 16, 2017, plaintiff returned to the production office to work on wrapping out the show,” Brooks’ lawyers wrote.

“Upon arrival, plaintiff was informed that Segal wanted him to write and sign a declaration stating that he would not sue the production. When plaintiff declined to write such a statement, his services were terminated immediately. ” Depp denied the allegations against him.

Lawyers for the actor wrote in responding filings that Brooks “provoked” Depp who was afraid for his safety. “The acts complained of by [Brooks] were provoked by [Brooks’] unlawful and wrongful conduct in that [Brooks] willfully and maliciously acted out and conducted his activities in such a manner as to cause, Defendant Depp to fear for his safety, and according to Defendant Depp’s observations, Defendant Brad Furman [the director] for his safety. ” Crew members on the film later told The Daily Beast that the two men got “in each others’ face for a second,” but there were no punches thrown — a recollection which a lawyer for Brooks refuted.

The case was set to head to trial on July 25. Attorneys for Depp and Brooks did not immediately respond to Insider’s requests for comment. Monday’s settlement was a more muted finale in the ongoing saga of Depp’s legal affairs after a Virginia jury in June largely sided with Depp in his high-profile defamation case against his ex-wife Amber Heard.

At the heart of the sensational six-week trial was Heard’s 2018 Washington Post op-ed article , in which she described herself as a survivor of domestic and sexual violence. The case evolved to include allegations that both Depp and Heard abused one another before and during their 15-month marriage. Depp and Heard both denied the allegations.

The jury ultimately ordered Heard to pay Depp a total of $15 million in damages, finding that she did defame the actor on three separate occasions. Heard won just one of her three counts and was granted $2 million in damages. The trial, which was broadcast live by cameras in the courtroom, captivated the country and garnered tens of millions of watched hours from online viewers.

The Law & Crime Network — just one outlet live streaming the case — broke viewership records by drawing 3. 5 million live concurrent viewers on the day the verdict was read, the network said. .