Already have an account?
Get back to the

Johnny Depp’s Former Agent Claims He Lost ‘Pirates of the Caribbean’ Role Amid Amber Heard’s Domestic Violence Allegations

The end of Captain Jack Sparrow? While testifying in court, Johnny Depp‘s former agent claimed that the actor was officially axed from his Pirates of the Caribbean role as a result of Amber Heard‘s domestic violence allegations.

Related: Movies That Recast Characters in Sequels: ‘Twilight,’ ‘Harry Potter’ and More Franchises Who Replaced Stars

“My opinion is it was related to the accusations that Amber has made,” Christian Carino stated in a pre-recorded video deposition on Wednesday, April 27, adding that he only spoke to producer Jerry Bruckheimer about the situation in the past.

 

Johnny Depp Allegedly Lost Pirates Caribbean Job Amid Amber Claims
Johnny Depp in ‘Pirates of the Caribbean,’ with an inset of Amber Heard. Shutterstock (2)

According to the CAA agent, 53, the assumption came from “conversations with colleagues and studios executives” that were internal and external. “It is something within the industry that is understood,” Carino, who previously dated Lady Gaga, continued.

During the trial, Heard’s attorney Elaine Bredehoft pointed out that Bruckheimer, 78, never directly confirmed to Carino that Depp’s departure was due to her client’s claims. Depp, 58, for his part, has previously implied that his departure from the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise was due to his messy split with Heard, 36.

The former couple started dating two years after meeting on set of The Rum Diary in 2009. Depp and Heard tied the knot in 2015, but the Aquaman actress filed for divorce after 15 months of marriage. Days later, Heard accused Depp of domestic violence and obtained a temporary restraining order against him.

The Oscar nominee, who has denied Heard’s accusations, later sued the actress for defamation after she penned an op-ed in December 2018 that discussed her past history with abuse. Although Depp’s name wasn’t mentioned in The Washington Post, the U.K. native has claimed that he lost several roles as a result.

“It’s been six years of trying times,” Depp, who originated the role of Jack Sparrow in 2003, said during his witness testimony on April 19. “It’s pretty strange when one day you’re Cinderella, so to speak, then 0.6 seconds you’re Quasimodo. I didn’t deserve that, nor did my children, nor did the people who have believed in me for all these years. I didn’t want any of those people to believe that I had done them wrong or lied to them or that I was a fraud. I pride myself on honesty.”

Related: Johnny Depp and Amber Heard’s Ups and Downs Through the Years

The Kentucky native later testified that Disney cut their working relationship with him less than a week after Heard published her op-ed. During cross-examination, Heard’s attorney Ben Rottenborn referenced an article from October 2018 that reported Depp was no longer part of the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise — two months before his client’s The Washington Post essay went live.

Johnny Depp Allegedly Lost Pirates Caribbean Job Amid Amber Claims
Actor Amber Heard arrives in the courtroom at the Fairfax County Circuit Court in Fairfax, VA on April 28, 2022. Michael Reynolds/AP/Shutterstock

“I wasn’t aware of that, but it doesn’t surprise me. Two years had gone by of constant worldwide talk about me being this wife-beater. So, I’m sure that Disney was trying to cut ties to be safe. The #MeToo movement was in full swing at that point,” the Black Mass actor responded at the trial in Fairfax, Virginia, earlier this month.

Depp also addressed his past comments about having no plans to return to the franchise even if Disney made him an offer. According to the Into the Woods star, there was “a deep and distinct sense of feeling betrayed” by those he worked for, adding, “People that I delivered a character to that they initially despised, but I stuck to my guns with the character and it seemed to work.”

Related: Amber Heard's Dating History: From Johnny Depp to Elon Musk

Ahead of the ongoing trial, Heard reflected on her complicated history with her ex-husband. “I never named him, rather I wrote about the price women pay for speaking against men in power,” she wrote via Instagram that same month. “I continue to pay that price, but hopefully, when this case concludes, I can move on and so can Johnny. I have always maintained a love for Johnny and it brings me great pain to have to live out the details of our past life together in from of the world.”

If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic violence, please call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233 for confidential support.

In this article

Got a Tip form close button
Got a tip for US?
We're All Ears for Celebrity Buzz!