City of Lies: Johnny Depp settles lawsuit over alleged assault

Johnny Depp will be avoiding another day in a courtroom which I’m sure is delightful news for the actor after dealing with his defamation trial against ex-wife Amber Heard. Depp had been sued by a crew member who worked with him on the film City of Lies in 2017, but it would appear that he has settled the lawsuit over the alleged assault.

Location manager Greg “Rocky” Brooks alleged that Depp struck him multiple times in the ribs and offered Brooks $100,000 to hit him back. He also said that Depp reeked of alcohol during the encounter and that he was taking drugs on set. The actor denied the allegations, and it was set to go to trial on July 25, 2022. However, per The Hollywood Reporter, a notice of settlement was filed with the court on Monday, and it calls for Depp to follow through with the deal’s unspecified terms before the end of August. If Depp chooses not to comply, the case can be reopened, but I imagine the actor will comply to get this matter off his radar. The exact terms of the deal have not been disclosed at this time.

Depp’s lawyer in his defamation trial, Camille Vasquez, also represented Depp in this case. Vasquez has become a bit of a celebrity in her own right, thanks to the former trial being televised. There were also witnesses in place to testify on behalf of Johnny Depp, including script supervisor Emma Danoff, who denied Brooks’ claims. Danoff says that Depp never physically touched Brooks but does admit that the actor argued with Brooks after the location manager mistreated a Black homeless woman by calling her derogatory names:

“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 that you? Who do you think you are? How dare you?’”

In terms of his court cases, Johnny Depp is coming out smelling like roses, and even though this is a settlement and not a dull dismissal, it still works in his favor to have this not go to trial, so he can focus on the next steps of rehabilitating his career.

What are YOUR thoughts on this latest Johnny Depp news?