The Lawsuits Thread

[Chocolat]

If anyone can learn the details and who the mystery people are who were involved in this mess, it's Depp fans. It amazes me how information is discovered when it's on Johnny's behalf.

[Ingrid 3]

If anyone can learn the details and who the mystery people are who were involved in this mess, it's Depp fans. It amazes me how information is discovered when it's on Johnny's behalf.

[ForeverYoung]

There are fifteen unnamed defendants. Funds were given to people "close to Depp" and certain third parties without Johnny's knowledge. Seems like these guys were giving away money like candy to anyone who asked for it without having any kind of agreement or note to pay the money back but there were some names written in the books.

Amber's friends and family had a pretty good time traveling around with her on Johnny's dime but that is all over now, thank goodness.

[Theresa]

Things are going to get ugly, it appears...

Johnny Depp’s Ex-Biz Managers Hit Back At “Absurd & False” $25M Fraud Lawsuit

by Dominic Patten and Anita Busch
Deadline.com
January 31, 2017 1:19pm


EXCLUSIVE: They said they were going to do it when the Pirates of the Caribbean actor sued them for fraud in a $25 million lawsuit this month, and today Johnny Depp’s former longtime business managers the Mandel Company hit back at the three-time Oscar nominee with a cross-complaint of fraud and more of their own.

“TMG did everything within its power over the last 17 years to protect Depp from himself and to keep Depp financially solvent,” states the jury trial-seeking cross-complaint filed Tuesday in L.A. Superior Court by Michael Kump and Suann Macisaac of Kinsella Weitzman Iser Kump & Aldisert LLP ( READ IT HERE ). “However, ultimately TMG did not have the power or ability to control Depp’s spending or his numerous other vices, or to force Depp to make wiser financial decisions.”

Of the oft-repeated Hollywood star situation of mo’ money, mo’ problems, the filing asserts: “In his complaint, Depp claims that throughout his 17-year relationship with TMG, he was kept ignorant about his financial condition. That allegation is absurd and untrue.” The six-claim filing essentially seeks more than $560,000 in unpaid commissions and credit card fees and, in a effort to cut short the actor’s big-bucks lawsuit against TMG, a court declaration that the Mandel Company “complied with all of its fiduciary obligations under the law and that Depp is responsible for his own financial waste.”

In his January 13 complaint, the Sweeney Todd actor and Hollywood Vampires guitarist alleges that TMG took him to the cleaners for tens of millions due to “gross mismanagement and sometimes outright fraud.” The filing by the actor and fellow plaintiff Edward L. White as trustees of the Mooh Investment Trust also claimed that TMG paid itself more than $28 million in contingency fees without a written agreement but failed to pay or file his taxes on time — leading to big penalties — and loaned millions to third parties without his consent, among other mishandling of the actor’s money.

TMG’s response? No way, Captain Jack.

“Depp further alleges in his complaint that he only learned about his financial problems in March 2016 when he hired Edward White of Edward White & Co., LLP in Woodland Hills, California,” the paperwork asserts of the timeline of events in this age old Hollywood tale of mo’ money, mo’ problems. “This charge is also false.”

“For years, TMG repeatedly informed Depp and Dembrowski and personal lawyer, Jake Bloom, that Depp was living beyond his means, and urged him to spend less and to sell certain expensive but unnecessary assets to repay loans and pay his taxes and living expenses,” the filing notes of the actor, his sister/personal manager Elisa Christie Dembrowski and Depp’s lawyer.

While it doesn’t go into how much the often well-turned-out actor spent on bandannas and hats, there’s apparently few other rocks unturned in the return salvo in this legal battle; the 31-page countersuit is filled with multiple tales of “come to Jesus” meetings and potential solutions over Depp’s excessive and seemingly chaotic finances. For instance, his former agency UTA is revealed as having helped the actor borrow money from Bank of America in 2015 and others over the years and blunted attempts to sell property to meet obligations. And there was an unheeded warning to get a prenup to his now-dissolved marriage to Amber Heard, which ended in a multimillion-dollar settlement last summer in lieu of a potential nasty public court faceoff.

Adding to the un-balanced sheet, there’s the more than “$75 million to acquire, improve and furnish 14 residences” around the world, $3 million to shoot Hunter S. Thompson’s ashes out of a cannon when the infamous writer died in 2005, full-time personal security and “45 luxury cars.” Then there’s more with the likes of a vanity record label; $10 million a year to support an entourage of friends, family and personal employees; fine wines flown in from around the world at a cost of $30,000 a month; “millions to acquire and maintain a massive and extremely expensive art collection including over 200 collectible pieces and works by world famous artists such as Warhol, Klimt, Basquiat, and Modigliani”; and reports of loans from Disney.

“I am ready to face the music, in whatever way I must,” the cross-complaint proclaims Depp said in a text sent in October 2015 to a Mandel principal, with a $5 million loan from TMG itself allegedly also hanging over his head in a separate and ongoing non-judicial foreclosure. “I know there’s a way to dig ourselves out of this hole and I am bound and determined to do it,” they claim Depp texted them. The business managers say this way out eventually became suing them to avoid the real costs, so to speak.

“Over 30 years, TMG has never been sued by a client,” Kump told Deadline today on behalf of the well-known and widely used firm. “The only reason Depp filed this lawsuit was to interfere with TMG’s ongoing efforts to be repaid on the loan they had made to bail him out,” the attorney also said. “TMG worked day and night to professionally manage Depp’s business affairs, adhering to the highest standards.”

In the filing Tuesday, Kump and Macisaac names Depp and White personally, limited partnership Edward White & Co., LLP, L.R.D. Productions, Inc and Scaramanga Bros. Inc., plus others as the defendants in this case.

The CAA-represented Depp is having this matter handled by a team of lawyers at at L.A-based firm Manatt, Phelps & Phillips, LLC.

[SnoopyDances]

I imagine this will go the way of the divorce settlement, with both sides suing and making allegations, only to have a settlement reached at some point.
I assume with all of the lawyers battling back and forth, it will postpone any foreclosure proceedings and maybe hold up any property sales.

[Sweeney Todd]

Entertainment reporters are sure having fun with this.

[sleepy]

For someone who has spent most of his life being very private, this past year or so has been unbelievable. Not only did we hear all the personal mess of his life with Amber, now all his his personal finances will be spread out for public consumption. What has happened to him?

[brunasouzota]

All of us here know that Johnny is very kind and charitable to everyone, especially the people around him.

To Vanessa: expensive Yacht "Va...", island, village-farm in Plan de La Tour, many travels, many events and many jewels and many expensive dresses and a beautiful french house in LA...

To Amber: five luxury lofts, many travels, many events, many jewels and many expensive dresses too, and expensive horses and cars, and many money to travel to help her in Australia...

But now I wonder, will A and V to help Johnny? Of course, not.

A record company to B and wife...

[Theresa]

From The Wall Street Journal...

Mr. Depp’s attorney Adam Waldman said in response to the countersuit: “How cataloging alleged spending by Mr. Depp of his own money could somehow absolve the defendants of their own large and multifaceted mosaic of wrongdoing will ultimately be determined by the Court in this case.”

[nebraska]

And all of this mess without a written contract? Is that right? What reputable company deals with this sort of financial empire with nothing in writing? Johnny came from nothing and on some level I think his inability to comprehend the wealth and complications can be understood and forgiven. But a management company working without a net? Unbelievable.

[Theresa]

And all of this mess without a written contract? Is that right? What reputable company deals with this sort of financial empire with nothing in writing? Johnny came from nothing and on some level I think his inability to comprehend the wealth and complications can be understood and forgiven. But a management company working without a net? Unbelievable.

Seems totally crazy, doesn't it?

[justintime]

In at least three separate articles (paragraphs) in the cross-complaint, TMG (as a singular unit) claims to have "expended over 386 hours on Depp's behalf in the last two weeks of March, 2016". Try as I might, given there are still only 24 hours in any given day, and still only seven days in any full week, I come up with a max of only 336 hours in two seven-day weeks, not 386. I guess this is just one shining example of TMG's quicksilver math calculations. Certainly justifies the oral agreement guaranteeing TMG uncapped management fees for 2003 - on, don't you think???? Percentages are so annoying to work with . . .

[justintime]

And all of this mess without a written contract? Is that right? What reputable company deals with this sort of financial empire with nothing in writing? Johnny came from nothing and on some level I think his inability to comprehend the wealth and complications can be understood and forgiven. But a management company working without a net? Unbelievable.

Yes, nebraska, I doubt the adjective "reputable" was in any dictionary ever referenced by TMG.

[Gilbert's Girl]

I recall an interveiw by Johnny way back where he said he never knew about his finances he just wrote cheques and his accountants dealt with it all.

[sleepy]

A grown man with a lot of money coming in, from different places, needs to be aware and take a huge interest in what is happening. With all this publicity, and with the claims his managers are making (profanity laden tirades when told "no.") are not good. It makes movie producers nervous, knowing he seems unstable and in dire need of money. We have no idea if these claims are true, but they are being put out there. Johnny needs to made a statement. Not just a causal comment though his people. He needs to talk and let Hollywood know he is ok. It's not his way, but at this time, he might need to consider it, for the sake of his career.