During a five-week trial, a mystery has been lingering with a multimillion-dollar question mark: How much were the careers of Johnny Depp or Amber Heard harmed because the actors allegedly slandered each other?
Hollywood experts, who often keep their lips shut about industry negotiations, have taken the position largely to suppress allegations that the duo’s public mud played a major role in their falling careers. Continuing in line with studies that seem to take sides in the high-profile dispute launched at the height of the #MeToo movement, Walter Hamada, president of DC Films and the studio officer higher-ranking than appeared at trial, he said Tuesday that “there were talks about a possible overhaul” Heard in the sequel to Aquaman, but that they were not related to his legal battle with Depp.
Hamada attributed the discussions to “chemistry” issues with protagonist Jason Momoa.
The testimony reflects Disney production executive Tina Newman, who said last week that she did not know that the December 2018 opinion at the center of the defamation lawsuit played a role in the decision not to move forward with another installment. of Pirates of the Caribbean. Depp has alleged that he was removed from the franchise shortly after the column was published, which did not specifically name him, but described “domestic abuse” over a period of time consistent with his marriage to Heard, and which is still being boycotted by Hollywood.
In a $ 100 million lawsuit, Heard has accused Depp of coordinating a campaign to defame her by calling her allegations of abuse a hoax.
In a 20-minute statement to the jury, Hamada detailed how Heard was almost ripped from the upcoming film Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom.
“Concerns were raised at the end of the production of the first film,” Hamada said, about whether the study would be “better to refound someone with better natural chemistry with Jason Momoa and move on.”
Heart’s contract with Warner Bros. he paid her $ 450,000 for her debut as Mera, Queen of Atlantis, in Zach Snyder’s Justice League with studio options for her to re-play the character in later films, the actor testified. He was paid $ 1 million for Aquaman and $ 2 million for the sequel. The studio has not decided whether to pick up his option, for which he will be paid $ 4 million, for another film.
Asked if the alleged defamatory statements of Adam Waldman, one of Depp’s lawyers who were expelled from the case for leaking information covered by a protection order in the press, which he described as heartbreaking allegations of abuse, affect compensation or the role of Heard in following Aquaman, Hamada. denied the claim. He described Warner Bros. philosophy on “Hold on[ing] people to their choice “.
“As a company we go through a lot of problems when we make deals with actors,” Hamada said. “Traditionally, before I joined the company, all options were renegotiated. One thing we were trying to put in place was not to renegotiate all the agreements.”
For several days at the booth, Heard testified that the studios and sponsors moved away from her once Depp began undermining her claims that she had been abused by him.
“I had to fight really hard to keep my career going,” Heard said on May 17th. “After receiving my temporary removal order, I missed opportunities. I was fired from my job. I was dropped from a campaign I had shot. I struggled to keep my job at the opportunity. biggest movie I’ve had so far: the Justice League, with the option [for] Aquaman. “
The actress added that Warner Bros. he didn’t want to include her in the Aquaman sequel and only shot a “very small version” of his part.
“They gave me a script, then they gave me new versions of the script that had taken action scenes, that represented my character and another character, without revealing any spoilers, two characters fighting each other,” he said. Heard. “They basically took a lot of my paper out of me. They just took out a lot.”
Under Heard’s testimony, Hamada testified that his role in the film was determined before the couple’s legal battle and that “his character’s involvement in the story was what it was in the beginning.”
The testimony of the executive appointed to lead the extended universe of DC in 2018 after the Justice League failed to track down what Heard agent Jessica Kovacevic of WME said about the reason for which the role of his client in the sequel to Aquaman was not as robust as desired. He testified last week that he was told that Heard’s role was reduced due to chemical issues, but that the negative press affected the study’s decision, wondering why Heard’s career did not go well. take off as much as Momoa’s.
“Your career takes a turn after something like that,” Kovacevic said, referring to Warner Bros. he chose Heard to play Mera after auditioning for the role. “At the time she was very well received in the film. Everyone was happy with her at the time. There were no problems. Then she had a complete fall after that, and then matched the tweets. constants and the negativity about it. I don’t have any physical evidence, but that’s the only logical conclusion I can draw. “
Kovacevic added that Heard was removed from an Amazon movie because of Depp’s allegations.
Hamada was the second privileged person in Hollywood to testify for Depp at trial. Jack Whigham, the actor’s agent, previously stated that his client had to pay $ 22.5 million to reprise his role as Jack Sparrow in the sixth Pirates movie, but that Disney went to a different direction after Heard’s post.
“After the review, it was impossible to get him a studio film, which was what we would normally have focused on,” Whigham said.
Heard also recruited numerous people with industry ties to support his case. Newman was summoned to the podium to refute allegations that Heard’s allegations of abuse caused Disney to abandon Pirates 6 plans. problems with Depp inside and out.
The testimony was overshadowed by Tracey Jacobs of the United Talent Agency, Depp’s former agent, who shattered his former client to ruin his career due to problems with alcohol and drugs.
“His star had darkened because it was harder for him to get a job because of the reputation he had gained because of his delay and other things,” Jacobs said, adding that “people were talking” about his substance abuse. .
At one point, Depp had to start wearing a headset to receive his lines because he would not remember them, he explained.
The trial continues on Wednesday with Kate Moss testifying as a witness to Depp’s rebuttal.