Johnny Depp's Alleged Assault Victim Seeking $70,000 in Damages
The crew member suing Johnny Depp for assault is firing back at the actor in court, believing he is owed in excess of $70,000 for the alleged incident.
According to court documents obtained by The Blast, Gregg “Rocky” Brooks is demanding a judge not allow Depp to move the case to a different court (where the most he could be awarded is $25,000).
Depp recently asked the judge to reclassify the case as a “limited civil case." He wants the case moved to a lower court, saying any damages awarded should be less than $25,000. The actor said the allegations in Brooks’ complaint could not result in damages greater than $25,000.
The actor does not believe punitive damages are warranted in this case. He pointed out that Brooks failed to claim any medical expenses and the actor continues to deny the alleged assault ever occurred.
In the newly filed docs, Brooks argues otherwise, saying he has lost wages as a result of the incident, “which at the time of the discovery response, were estimated at $70,000.”
He says, “Given the nature of the complaint, the facts of the case herein, the injury suffered by the Plaintiff, and the harm Plaintiff continues to suffer, it is highly likely that the damages awarded in this case will exceed $25,000.”
Brooks is asking the judge to keep the case in the current court and allow his case to move forward.
Earlier this year, Brooks sued Depp accusing him of punching him on the set of the upcoming film "City of Lies."
Brooks, who was a location manager, claimed he was trying to enforce permit restrictions on the set on April 13, 2017. They were filming the film about the deaths of Tupac and Biggie Smalls in Downtown Los Angeles
The location manager claimed they had a permit to shoot until 7:00 PM outside and 10:00 PM inside, and Brooks was able to get the permit extended multiple times to accommodate the actor who wanted to direct a longer version of a scene but could not get any more extension.
He then told the director the shooting would have to halt production, and the director allegedly told Brooks “Why don’t you tell that to Johnny Depp?”
Brooks went to get an on-set police officer to help him tell Depp, but before he could Depp approached him yelling, “Who the f--k are you? You have no right to tell me what to do!”
He tried to explain the situation but then Depp allegedly punched him twice in the lower side of his rib cage. Depp is accused of yelling, “I will give you $100,000 to punch me in the face right now!”
Brooks claimed Depp’s breath smelled of alcohol and said the actor's bodyguards had to intervene to stop the situation. He was fired from the film three days later when he refused to sign a release over the incident.
Depp fired back at the lawsuit demanding it be tossed out of court.
The actor denies all allegations of wrongdoing in the lawsuit and says his alleged actions were done in self-defense.
He accuses Brooks of willfully and maliciously acting out and conducting his activities in a way that made him fear for his safety on set. Further, he claims Brooks did not comply with the directions of his employer and, as a result, is demanding the entire case be dismissed.
Back in December 2018, Brooks dismissed "City of Lies" director Brad Furman and only continuing on with his case against Depp.
The case is ongoing.
