The Lawsuits Thread

[sofia]

Yes, you might be right too I just wish it was a bit more clearly formulated ... Thanks a lot to you too anyway

I'd like to add, TMG has been playing a game, as Waldman said, "they’re trying to discredit him with a “smear” campaign" and trying to hide facts from the public eye.
In their countersuit they claim and made a fuss about Johnny's spending and reinforcing mainly on wines, an obvious intention to make the public think that Johnny suffers from some kind of alcohol dependence, to suppose that he lost control of himself and of his spending, wanting to blame him, when in fact Johnny sued TMG using evidence, not delusions.
And when Johnny's lawyer redacted, TMG wanted to say that he edited because there is nothing there, but his lawyer said what was redacted is something out of the complaint, so doesn't affect Johnny's lawsuit against them
Waldman redacted and added more evidence. He is also leaving no room for TMG managers to use the media in their favor
As we can only use what we have, TMG is only using dirty games, reflecting that is just what they have.

[Sweeney Todd]

Johnny Depp Says Former Business Managers to Blame for His Financial Woes

By Scott Patterson and Ben Fritz

April 25, 2017 7:37 p.m. ET

Johnny Depp fired back against allegations by his former business managers that his profligate spending is the cause of his financial problems, saying it was their negligence and fraud that caused him to lose tens of millions of dollars over more than a decade.

“Why didn’t they drop me as a client if I was so out of control?” Mr. Depp said in a telephone interview this week, his first public comments on the matter since he sued his former managers, the Management Group, in Los Angeles Superior Court in January.

“I’ve worked very, very hard for a lot of years and trusted a lot of people, some who’ve clearly let me down,” Mr. Depp said. He is seeking more than $25 million in damages for alleged fraud and professional negligence.

“We look forward to responding to Mr. Depp’s latest falsehoods in our amended pleadings,” said David Shane, spokesman for the Management Group, on Tuesday.

Mr. Depp alleges the Management Group caused him incur more than $40 million in debt and dispose of significant assets. He says the Mandels helped steer him into high-interest loans, didn’t make proper payment on loans and failed to make timely tax payments on his income for 15 years, resulting in $8.3 million in penalties.

The Management Group, an L.A. entertainment consulting firm run by the brothers Joel and Rob Mandel who had worked for the “Pirates of the Caribbean” star from 1999 to March 2016, filed a countersuit claiming Mr. Depp’s financial woes are the result of his overspending and failure to heed repeated warnings about his situation. Alleging breach of contract and fraud, the Mandels say Mr. Depp lived a “selfish, reckless and irresponsible lifestyle” that cost $2 million a month.

“It’s my money,” Mr. Depp told The Wall Street Journal. “If I want to buy 15,000 cotton balls a day, it’s my thing.” The actor has earned more than $650 million over the course of his three-decade career, according to a person familiar with the matter.

The Management Group is seeking $560,000 in unpaid fees and a ruling that Mr. Depp himself is solely responsible for his financial situation.

New details about the case emerged in court filings Tuesday. Mr. Depp’s lawyers disclosed in heavily redacted filings that they have received what they call “significant new information, including documents and testimony” from a former Management Group employee turned whistleblower. The employee’s testimony concerns the Management Group’s “misconduct in managing Mr. Depp’s affairs,” the filing alleged.

The filing is a response to a motion by the Mandels to keep the employee’s testimony private.

Mr. Depp first learned about the employee on Feb. 7, when he received an email about that person. The employee was allegedly fired for complaining about how the actor’s money had been handled, according to a copy of the email included in Tuesday’s filings.

“he knows all the dirt,” the email stated.

Mr. Depp’s attorneys deposed the former employee on March 2.

Mr. Depp “is relying on dishonest, discredited statements from a vindictive former TMG employee who was fired seven years ago,” said Mr. Shane, the Management Group’s spokesman.

“The Mandels don’t want the whistleblower testimony made public because of fear of incrimination,” said Adam Waldman, Mr. Depp’s attorney.

Mr. Depp has also alleged the Mandels helped steer him into $19 million worth of high-interest loans. The Management Group in its countersuit claimed the actor’s entertainment lawyer, Jacob Bloom, orchestrated the loans. Mr. Bloom in an interview said he helped locate the lender and the Management Group handled the details of the loan.

Repayment of the loans would come from payments owed to Mr. Depp for his films including the “Pirates” series, “Alice in Wonderland” and “Into the Woods,” according to Mr. Depp’s complaint.

Mr. Depp should have received $25.7 million in payments over the course of the two-year period since the loan was initiated, according to his complaint. Instead, that money was used to repay the loans as well as pay fees to the Management Group and Mr. Bloom, and Mr. Depp received nothing, according to the complaint.

Mr. Depp said in the interview that he hasn’t spoken with Mr. Bloom since his lawsuit was filed in January. Mr. Bloom said Tuesday that he has tried to reach Mr. Depp, but the actor hasn’t returned his calls.

Mr. Depp also said in the interview that the Mandels committed factual errors about his spending in their Jan. 31 countersuit. They allege that he spent $3 million on a “specially made cannon” to blast the ashes of author Hunter S. Thompson.

False, says Mr. Depp: The cannon cost him $5 million.

[meeps]

QUOTE: "“Why didn’t they drop me as a client if I was so out of control?” Mr. Depp said in a telephone interview this week"

Good question!

QUOTE: "Mr. Depp also said in the interview that the Mandels committed factual errors about his spending in their Jan. 31 countersuit. They allege that he spent $3 million on a “specially made cannon” to blast the ashes of author Hunter S. Thompson.

False, says Mr. Depp: The cannon cost him $5 million."

Oh, I do love you, Johnny
It sounds just like Jack saying "But you have heard of me"
He stands by his actions and wants others to do the same

I wish, they would go to court already, so Johnny could be proven right, as I am sure, he will be

[justintime]

Thank you so much, Sweeney Todd, for posting this. I saw it yesterday in the Wall Street Journal, but couldn't access the whole article since I don't have a subscription. So glad to finally read some actual comments from Johnny! As usual, he accepts the good with the bad - its the lying and deception that has him fighting mad. Rightfully so. Seems like this is taking forever, but if the truth prevails, so be it.

Absolutely love the "cannon" comment - but the rebuke is more telling than just being humorous: seems TMG got its info from a tabloid, more evidence of shoddy work on their part. Love you, Johnny, and respect your perseverance!

[Joni]

Very interesting, and nice to get some information. There is a Case Management Conference scheduled in court on May 8th. Hopefully we will be able to find out more then.

“It’s my money,” Mr. Depp told The Wall Street Journal. “If I want to buy 15,000 cotton balls a day, it’s my thing.”

I know this is not a laughing matter, but Johnny is Johnny, and that cottonball comment, and the comment that the cannon cost $5 million, not $3 million....that's just typical, awesome Johnny.

[flo116]

Yes Joni I so agree...I am still laughing about the cotton balls. Bless his wonderful heart.

[jruoss]

“It’s my money,” Mr. Depp told The Wall Street Journal. “If I want to buy 15,000 cotton balls a day, it’s my thing.”

that cottonball comment, and the comment that the cannon cost $5 million, not $3 million....that's just typical, awesome Johnny.

Completely agree! Good for him. It's been so despicable the way TMG has tried to use things like Hunter's funeral against Johnny to cover their own thievery! and I can't think of a better rebuke to their sheer ugliness than to note that the cannon cost 2 million more than what they say.
I don't see how these people can wake up and look at themselves in the mirror every day, especially now that they're "forced" into taking the public position on Johnny that they currently have, the joyless scum...

[justintime]

“It’s my money,” Mr. Depp told The Wall Street Journal. “If I want to buy 15,000 cotton balls a day, it’s my thing.”

that cottonball comment, and the comment that the cannon cost $5 million, not $3 million....that's just typical, awesome Johnny.

Completely agree! Good for him. It's been so despicable the way TMG has tried to use things like Hunter's funeral against Johnny to cover their own thievery! and I can't think of a better rebuke to their sheer ugliness than to note that the cannon cost 2 million more than what they say.
I don't see how these people can wake up and look at themselves in the mirror every day, especially now that they're "forced" into taking the public position on Johnny that they currently have, the joyless scum...

Well, they obviously feel no remorse over their thievery - thank you, jruoss, for accurately describing TMG and their actions. I hope any clients they may still have are paying close attention. The one recurring theme in all of TMG's comments, no matter how lengthy - including their response to Johnny's initial filing - is a blatant inability to answer any of his charges with substance and facts. When accused of theft, fraud, and falling short on the most basic of account management responsibilities, you don't make your case in court by stamping your foot and indulging in name calling.

[Lbock]

His old management company dumping bombs on Johnny today. Very worried what they will release before the POTC release

The Hollywood Reporter
MAY 01, 2017 1:22pm PT by Ashley Cullins

Johnny Depp Has a "Clear and Epic" Sense of Entitlement, Ex-Managers Say

In an amended complaint, the ex-managers claim the actor wears an earpiece on set and pays someone to feed him lines so he doesn't have to memorize them.

Johnny Depp's former business managers aren't taking his recent comments about their dispute lightly — and they have escalated their claims against the actor in an amended complaint.

The legal battle between Depp and The Management Group began in January, when the actor sued his former business managers for fraud. TMG fired back, saying the actor's financial woes are all his own.

TMG says Depp's sense of entitlement is "clear and epic," as evidenced by his recent interview with the Wall Street Journal — in which he said, “It's my money. If I want to buy 15,000 cotton balls a day, it's my thing."

"Depp listened to no one, including TMG and his other advisors, and he demanded they fund a lifestyle that was extravagant and extreme," writes attorney Michael Kump in the amended complaint filed Monday. "Ultimately, Depp and/or his sister and personal manager, Elisa Christie Dembrowski knowingly approved all of Depp's expenditures."

Cited among the purchases are 14 residences, 45 luxury vehicles, 70 collectible guitars and enough Hollywood memorabilia to fill 12 storage facilities.

Notably, the managers also claim that Depp spends hundreds of thousands of dollars on a sound engineer who feed him lines on set.

"Depp insisted that this sound engineer be kept on yearly retainer so that he no longer had to memorize his lines," writes attorney Michael Kump.

TMG also claims Depp's "army of attorneys" has bailed him out of legal crises and made a series of "hush money settlements" — details of which they promise will be revealed during trial.

Further, the managers say Depp habitually lies to the public and authorities to avoid taking responsibility for his actions — including the infamous Australian dog smuggling incident and reportedly volatile behavior with his now ex-wife Amber Heard.

Writes Kump, "Depp's 45-page complaint against TMG, which is replete with demonstrably false and fraudulent allegations, was filed solely to avoid the non-judicial foreclosure of his properties, and is just another example of Depp's pattern of habitual lies and deception designed to avoid responsibility for his actions."

The new complaint also suggests Depp should submit to a mental health evaluation during the proceedings.

"Depp's extravagant spending has often been marked by a lack of impulse control," writes Kump. "In retrospect, it appears that Depp may suffer from a compulsive spending disorder, which will be proven in this action through a mental examination of Depp ... and expert testimony. On information and belief, Depp's flagrant bragging about his senseless and extreme spending to The Wall Street Journal is further evidence of his psychological issues."

Depp's lawyers have not yet commented on the new claims.

[Theresa]

Wow, if it wasn't ugly enough before...

[nebraska]

Wow, if it wasn't ugly enough before...

Something about it doesn't ring true. And it is ridiculous that all of this is being paraded out in public forums instead of the courtroom where a legal case should be tried, a lot of these things really should have no bearing on the case but are purely meant to harm Johnny.

[Vanilla Night]

"It's wonderful" ... Not only that these scammers robbed Johnny, they now also attribute psychological problems to him. Let, for the beginning, in the head and soul will dig. Such people are mad at me !!!!

[Lbock]

Deadline Hollywood
Dominic Patten
and Erik Pedersen
May 1, 2017 3:26pm


Johnny Depp’s Ex-Biz Managers Slam “False And Fraudulent” Suit By ‘Pirates’ Actor

The ever-salacious legal battle between Johnny Depp and his former business managers at the Mandel Company was notched up to another level today in a new version of its multi-claim complaint against the Pirates of the Caribbean actor. This latest filing from the company doing business as TMG follows a chatty sit-down with The Wall Street Journal Depp did last week that touched on many matters of the lawsuit and his belief that his money is his to spend as he chooses.

“Depp’s 45-page complaint against TMG, which is replete with demonstrably false and fraudulent allegations, was filed solely to avoid the non-judicial foreclosure of his properties, and is just another example of Depp’s pattern of habitual lies and deception designed to avoid responsibility for his actions,” said the 38-page amended complaint in Los Angeles Supreme Court by attorney Michael J. Kump on behalf of TMG (read it here). “Contrary to Depp’s counsel’s recent press statements, Depp and his new business manager Edward White, are the only parties in this action that are attempting to “gaslight the public” and “blame the victim.” As will be proven in this case, this is standard operating procedure for Depp.”

In the countersuit filed January 31, Depp’s former biz managers at TMG claimed the firm “did everything within its power over the last 17 years to protect Depp from himself and to keep Depp financially solvent.” It noted that the actor himself is to blame for his supposed financial woes, citing such extravagant spending as $3 million to shoot Hunter S. Thompson’s ashes out of a cannon a dozen years ago and the $2 million he spends every month on expenses.

“Contrary to Depp’ s recent public statements that his exorbitant purchases were him ‘investing’ his own money,” today’s suit says, “Depp’s extravagant spending has often been marked by a lack of impulse control and often increased immediately after Mandel would confront Depp regarding his finances.”

Reviving much of the language from the initial complaint of January 31, today filing also adds allegations of the Oscar-nominated actor spending up to $1.2 million a year for an on-call physician, big bucks on lawyers and more than $30,000 a month on fine wines. In addition to the seemingly excessive multimillion-dollar, multi-home and multi-employee lifestyle in which Depp engages, as stated in the previous complaint, Monday’s filing also claims that the actor employs a sound engineer to feed him lines on film sets at a cost of a six-figure salary.

This latest filing also contains additional material putting the responsibility for Depp’s allegedly shaky finances squarely on his shoulders. “It is not surprising that Depp would continue to concoct malicious and false allegations against TMG in an effort to stop the non-judicial foreclosure proceedings,” the suit reads. “Over the last several years … Depp has engaged in a clear pattern and practice of habitually lying to the public and to public authorities, and of requiring others (including long-term employees, family and so-called friends) to lie on his behalf. This practice has become Depp’s modus operandi when confronted with and asked to take responsibility for his continually outrageous and sad conduct.”

Depp is being represented by a team of lawyers at L.A-based firm Manatt, Phelps & Phillips, LLC.

[justintime]

Wow, if it wasn't ugly enough before...

Something about it doesn't ring true. And it is ridiculous that all of this is being paraded out in public forums instead of the courtroom where a legal case should be tried, a lot of these things really should have no bearing on the case but are purely meant to harm Johnny.

NOTHING rings true, nebraska. TMG has yet to substantively and factually respond to the supposed "demonstrably false and fraudulent allegations" in Johnny's original 45-page complaint. Anyone with a fourth grader's critical reading skills can see that.

TMG is taking pages out of AH's playbook and ripping Johnny to shreds in the court of public opinion with salacious tabloid garbage. Time is short, POTC 5 is around the corner. Everyone knows how much this means to him. Taking the high road with these vermin is an exercise in futility. It makes my stomach twist to read the extraordinary leaps these vermin make going from one outrageous one-liner accusation and/or threat to another, while never delving beyond the superficial, bottom-feeding appeal of each.

There is some kind of hearing on May 8th. TMG appears to be frantically trying to cast a negative spin on every facet of Johnny's life, hoping to have inexorably ground Johnny's reputation into the dust by then. He's a strong man, but this media torture blitz is beyond the pale (I'm so glad he did the Disney Land gig the other day - I'm sure he needed to "feel" that positivity). I sure hope his legal counsel is leaving no stone unturned. If nothing else the vipers at TMG have, oddly and perhaps in spite of themselves, left nothing to their clients' imaginations as to how low they will stoop to save their own slimy skins.

[sleepy]

And this is being re-printed on all the major entertainment outlets. Nice.