Johnny Depp is, once again, in trouble. This time, the actor might wind up in court thanks to a couple former bodyguards. As it is being reported, Eugene Arreola and Miguel Sanchez, two men who worked as security for Depp, presented a suit to the Los Angeles Superior Court claiming they were denied overtime, refused meal and rest periods, and asked to perform tasks that bodyguards are not normally expected to do. More specifically, Arreola and Sanchez claim they had to be "caregivers" for the controversial celebrity, as they needed to protect Depp from himself and his "vices," particularly in public settings.
According to the suit, per a report by TheWrap, Eugene Arreola and Miguel Sanchez first began providing their services to Johnny Depp as employees of Premier Group International, a security firm, before they began working with Depp as in-house security in April 2016. From there, they witnessed Depp as he reportedly continued to unravel from a personal standpoint, as he became "increasingly embroiled" in personal problems. It should be noted that his marriage to Amber Heard had imploded by then and he was officially off-the-wagon, among other woes. He was growing less attached to reality and, as a result, Arreola and Sanchez started to notice a "stark change in Depp and the atmosphere of his Hollywood Hills compound." It was around this time that the Pirates of the Caribbean star made significant budgetary changes for his staff and various members of management, which became a financial dilemma for everyone surrounding Johnny Depp.
Beyond those hassles, Johnny Depp was also constantly asking the bodyguards to perform tasks beyond their payroll. That included driving Johnny Depp to different places, at the request of not only Depp himself but his family too. The bodyguards were also asked to drive vehicles with illegal substances found inside, allegedly with open containers and even minors. They were also asked to "monitor" various unstable people in Depp's life. Additionally, these bodyguards were not given proper breaks and overtime, and when they asked their celebrity boss about these concerns, Depp was known to snap back at them. Here's a quote from the bodyguard's case, which suggests they often had to go above-and-beyond their normal duties in order to assure that their client was being kept away from harm on his own behalf.
Often times Plaintiffs were forced to protect Defendant Depp from himself and his vices while in public, becoming caretakers for him. An incident at a local nightclub involved Plaintiffs alerting Depp of illegal substances visible on his face and person while preventing onlookers from noticing Depp's condition.
Due to these stressful and intense circumstances, as well as labor code violations, Eugene Arreola and Miguel Sanchez felt they were given no choice but to leave their positions, even though they say they host no "ill-will" towards the sometimes hostile and dangerous client. They also claim to have enjoyed the company of other employees. Nevertheless, they're yet another legal hassle for the troubled celeb.
Johnny Depp has no shortage of money troubles at the moment, which is likely why he has been doing more movies of late. In any case, if this case goes to trial, it'll likely be another legal disaster for Depp.
