HOLLYWOOD—A lawsuit was filed on Friday, July 8 in Los Angeles County Superior Court which alleges that actor Johnny Depp, 55, punched film location manager, Gregg “Rocky” Brooks on set. According to the lawsuit, the altercation took place on April 13, 2017.
Brooks and Depp were on the set of the film “City of Lies,” which is set for U.S. release on September 7, 2018. Depp was cast as a Los Angeles Police Department Detective investigating the unsolved 1997 murder of rapper Notorious B.I.G., whose real name was Christopher Wallace. The movie was being filmed inside and around the downtown Los Angeles Barclay Hotel.
Brooks was beginning to shut down the set for the day in compliance with the film permit requirements, when Depp lost his temper. The lawsuit alleges, “At the same time, while screaming at the plaintiff, Depp angrily and forcefully punched (the) plaintiff twice in the lower left side of his rib cage. (He) continued to scream and berate (Brooks) in front of a set full of people until Depp’s own bodyguards physically removed Depp from the scene.”
According to Brooks, after trying to maintain his composure during the altercation, Depp said to him, “I will give you $100,000 to punch me in the face right now,” before his bodyguards removed him. Brooks alleges that Depp’s breath “reeked of alcohol.” According to the lawsuit, when Brooks returned to the production office a week later, his job was terminated after he refused to sign documents that would ensure that he could not sue the production company.
Brooks is also suing the film’s director Brad Furman, producer Miriam Segal, and Good Film Productions for unspecified damages. The lawsuit alleges assault and battery, negligence and hostile work environment, and wrongful job termination.
Depp got his start in acting in the 1984 horror film “A Nightmare on Elm Street.” He is known for roles in the “Pirates of the Caribbean” franchise and earned three Oscar nomination for Best Actor during his career for performances in “Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl,” “Finding Neverland” and “Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber Fleet.” He has appeared in over 50 films during his career.
Canyon News reached out to representatives from Good Film Productions, but did not hear back before going to print.
