Johnny Depp claims he discovered at a meeting with his accountant in 2016 that he had lost $ 650 million in movie earnings, immediately before an incident when he is alleged to have been violent towards his then-wife Amber Heard, a court heard on Monday. fifth day of his London defamation trial against the editor of The Sun newspaper.
Depp is suing News News and journalist Dan Wootton over an article on The Sun’s website that described him as a “handcuff puncher.” Depp denies that he was violent towards Heard, whom he was married to between 2015 and 2017.
At the London Courts of Justice, Depp was asked about the events that occurred on the day of Heard’s 30th birthday celebration on April 21, 2016. Depp arrived at the party, at the Eastern Columbia Building in Los Angeles, where the couple lived, two hours late.
His late arrival was due to the need to attend a meeting with his accountant, Edward White, at which he was informed that his finances were in a “disastrous state”.
Depp said he discovered that he had lost $ 650 million he had earned from movies due to alleged financial mismanagement. Depp discovered that the tax had not been paid on his behalf for 17 years, which means he owned $ 100 million in back taxes from the IRS.
Despite the news, Depp’s income was still very strong, with earnings of around $ 60 million in that financial year, said Sasha Wass, the attorney for The Sun.
Heard has alleged that Depp was violent towards her after her 30th birthday party, but Depp alleged in court that she was the one who beat him while he lay in bed reading, giving him a black eye. Depp claimed that he had never hit a woman in his entire life.
After Depp left the witness box, his assistant was taken over by his assistant Stephen Deuters, who also runs Depp’s production company, Infinitum Nihil.
Deuters was asked about an alleged violent incident said to have occurred in May 2014 on a private plane traveling from Boston to Los Angeles, when Depp allegedly kicked Heard in the back. Deuters told the court that he did not witness violence on the flight.
Deuters said Depp “was not drunk, but he was very low, very calm.” He reminds Depp of “drawing and painting” on the flight. Deuters said Depp had been addicted to opiates, which had a negative effect.
In an earlier witness statement, Deuters said Depp “made a playful attempt to tap.” [Heard] at the bottom with his shoe. “He said he didn’t think Depp’s foot made contact with Heard.
The trial continues on Tuesday.
