Johnny Depp Heading Back to Court Amid Claims He Assaulted Film Crew Member

With Johnny Depp’s high profile defamation trial against ex-wife Amber Heard having recently ended in victory for the Pirates of the Caribbean star, he is now gearing up for a court battle with another person accusing the actor of assault.

Depp, 58, prevailed in his $50 million lawsuit against Heard, 36, who he sued over a 2019 op-ed for The Washington Post, in which she stated that she was a domestic abuse survivor.

The jury largely sided with Depp, awarding him $10 million in compensatory damages and $5 million in punitive damages. The judge adjusted the punitive damages to $350,000, as Virginia law limits punitive damages.

Heard, who had countersued for $100 million for nuisance, was awarded $2 million in compensatory damages by the jury.

Following news of the jury handing down a verdict that was largely in Depp’s favor, another complainant has stepped forward to state that he is looking forward to his own date in court with the actor.

Gregg “Rocky” Brooks—who worked as a location manager on Depp’s film City of Lies, about the murder of rapper The Notorious B.I.G.—has accused the actor of punching him in the chest during a dispute on the Los Angeles set in April 2017.

Responding to Depp’s court victory against Heard, Brooks’ lawyer Pat Harris told The Sun: “While we respect the jury’s decision, it has no relevance to Mr. Brooks’ case in Los Angeles.

“Brooks’ case is not about two Hollywood celebrities involved in a toxic relationship. It is about the assault of a hard-working film crew member by the star of the production. Mr. Brooks looks forward to his day in court.”

According to the lawsuit, which was filed back in July 2018, Brooks alleged that Depp got upset when he was informed that filming would have to stop one night after their city permit was repeatedly extended, per Us Weekly.

Depp is quoted as responding: “Who the f*** are you? You have no right to tell me what to do!”

It is then alleged that the screen star struck Brooks twice in his ribcage, before shouting: “I will give you $100,000 to punch me in the face right now.”

When his purported statement was met with no reaction, Depp allegedly “continued to scream and berate him in front of a set full of people until Depp’s own bodyguards physically removed Depp from the scene.”

Brooks, who alleged that Depp’s breath “reeked of alcohol” at the time, further claimed that when he returned to the film set three days later, producer Miriam Segal allegedly asked him to sign a declaration stating that he would not sue the production team. Brooks alleged that he was fired after declining.

Depp responded to the lawsuit by saying that Brooks’ injuries were sustained as a result of “self-defense/defense of others,” The Sun said. He also accused Brooks of having “provoked” the behavior that led to his injuries.

Along with the Hollywood actor, Brooks is suing Segal, director Brad Furman, Good Film Productions and the Depp-founded production company Infinitum Nihil for intentional infliction of emotional distress, assault and battery, and negligence, among other damages.

Back in 2018, other crew members had insisted that the alleged incident between Depp and Brooks did not escalate beyond a verbal confrontation.

“They had a little moment, there weren’t punches, there wasn’t anything, just were in each others’ face for a second,” script supervisor Emma Danoff told The Daily Beast. “We shot for maybe another hour-and-a-half after that, we went inside.

“We finished and the locations guy came up to Johnny and they hugged and it was all cute and that was it.”

Filmmaker Furman had previously defended Depp, saying in a statement shared with Us Weekly: “Johnny Depp is a consummate professional, great collaborator and a supporter of other artists.

“He always treats the crew and people around him with the utmost respect. Movies can be stressful, and nonevents often become exaggerated. We all love stories—there isn’t one here.”

Newsweek has contacted a representative of Depp for comment.

City of Lies, which was originally set to be released in 2018, was unveiled in 2021 to mixed reviews. Depp portrayed late Los Angeles Police Department detective Russell Poole, best known for investigating the 1997 death of B.I.G., real name Christopher Wallace.