Last month, news came out that actor Johnny Depp was being sued for an altercation that took place on the set of City of Lies in 2017. The acclaimed actor allegedly attacked a location manager named Gregg "Rocky" Brooks, then taunted him to swing back. This seemed like it might be just the latest in Johnny Depp's series of seemingly self-inflicted woes in recent years. However, the script supervisor on City of Lies, Emma Danoff, has come to the actor's defense. According to her, the altercation took place after Johnny Depp witnessed Gregg Brooks using racial and derogatory slurs to a homeless woman who was in his way. This is when Johnny Depp got involved, as she explained:
He immediately stood up from our shared seat on the edge of a planter bench and went over to Brooks to stand up for the woman. Mr. Depp said to Mr. Brooks, 'You can't talk to her like that. You think she is something less than you? Who do you think you are? How dare you?
Obviously this paints a much different picture of events than the lawsuit from Gregg Brooks. Here Johnny Depp is acting altruistically, coming to the defense of someone who needs it, and reportedly taking action a person who is being a bully. Emma Danoff also told The Hollywood Reporter that there were no punches thrown, nor was there an offer by Depp of $100,000 for Brooks to punch him-- as the lawsuit alleges. More than that, she claims that she has time-stamped photos of the altercation to prove her claim and Johnny Depp's innocence in the matter.
Emma Danoff's defense of Johnny Depp comes after the actor's legal team responded to the lawsuit last week. The defense is rather vague, not admitting to punches thrown by Johnny Depp, but stating that Gregg Brooks made the actor feel unsafe and that any injuries he suffered were due to his own actions. This matter has entered the legal realm so the truth of what really happened will have to be adjudicated through those channels. There is a huge gulf between versions of the events, so the courts may have to decide how to resolve the fiery situation.
With all the reported altercations from the set, it might be easy to forget that this all took place during filming on City of Lies. The Brad Furman film stars Johnny Depp and Forest Whitaker and tells the true story of an investigation into the murders of legendary rappers Notorious B.I.G. and Tupac Shakur. The film was set to be released on September 7th but has been pulled from the schedule, which is rarely a good sign. It remains to be seen if City of Lies gets a new release date this year or gets dumped on digital/VOD or something else, but we'll keep you updated.
For movies that are definitely coming to theaters in 2018 (we think) you can check out our release calendar. For all the latest on when the drama behind the scenes eclipses what happens onscreen, stay tuned to CinemaBlend.
