Johnny Depp dropped from 'Pirates of the Caribbean' over abuse claims, ex-agent testifies

Christian Carino was also asked about Amber Heard's relationship with billionaire Tesla and SpaceX founder Elon Musk

Actor Johnny Depp holds up his notebook, which appears to have a picture of the late rapper Biggie Smalls on the cover, during his defamation trial against his former wife Amber Heard. AP

Depp stands in the courtroom during a break in the hearing. AFP

Depp watches the recorded testimony of Alejandro Romero, the doorman at his former penthouse in downtown Los Angeles. AFP

Heard speaks to a member of her legal team in the court in Virginia. EPA

Depp returns to the court after a break in proceedings. EPA

Depp watches the recorded testimony of Los Angeles Police Department officer William Gatlin. AP

Heard enters the Fairfax County Circuit Court with a member of her legal team. AP

Depp stands for the jury to leave the courtroom during a break. EPA

Depp watches a virtual deposition. AFP

Heard walks into the courtroom. AFP

Heard in the courtroom with her legal team. AP

Depp points at a pile of sweets in the courtroom. AP

Depp draws in his sketchpad during the trial. Reuters

Depp doodles. AP

Heard is greeted by her lawyer. AP

Johnny Depp was dropped from the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise because of the domestic abuse allegations made by Amber Heard, his former Hollywood agent said on Wednesday, backing up the actor's claim against his ex-wife.

"My opinion is that it was related to the accusations that Amber has made," Christian Carino, who works for Creative Arts Agency, said in a videotaped deposition in the defamation suit filed by Depp against Heard.

Depp filed a defamation case against Heard over a column she wrote for The Washington Post in December 2018 in which she described herself as a "public figure representing domestic abuse".

Heard, 36, never named Depp, 58, but he sued her for implying he was a domestic abuser and is seeking $50 million in damages.

Texas-born Heard countersued, asking for $100m, claiming she suffered "rampant physical violence and abuse" at his hands.

Depp filed the defamation complaint in the US after losing a separate libel case in London in November 2020 that he brought against The Sun for calling him a "wife-beater".

Carino, Depp and Heard's former agent, said it was never explicitly stated by Disney that Depp was being dropped from the Pirates franchise because of the domestic abuse accusations but it was "understood".

Depp, testifying earlier on his own behalf, blamed the accusations by Heard for the loss of his lucrative role in Pirates as Captain Jack Sparrow.

Actor Johnny Depp claims he was dropped from the Disney Pirates of the Caribbean franchise owing to his ex-wife Amber Heard's claims of abuse. Photo: Film Frame / Disney

Carino, the former fiance of Lady Gaga, was also asked about Heard's relationship with billionaire Tesla and SpaceX founder Elon Musk, which followed her 2017 divorce from Depp.

Lawyers for Depp read out August 2017 text messages between Carino and Heard, who starred in the movie Aquaman.

"Dealing with break-up. I hate when things go public. See, I'm so sad," Heard said in a message about the end of her relationship with Musk.

"You weren't in love with him and you told me 1,000 times you were just filling space," Carino replied. "Why would you be sad if you weren't in love with him to begin with?"

Johnny Depp in court as a pre-recorded deposition testimony of Christian Carino is played on a screen during the Depp versus Heard defamation trial. EPA

Heard responded: "I know but I wanted time to grieve and recover in my own time."

Asked by a lawyer for Depp if Heard was referring to Musk or Depp, Carino said "I don't know."

He also provided her with some advice. "You could avoid all this if you stopped dating uber-famous people," he said. "You can be with a big man who isn't famous."

Testifying last week, Depp said the allegations that he was a "drunken, cocaine-fuelled menace who beat women" have cost him "everything".

Depp denies ever physically abusing Heard and claims she was the one who was frequently violent.

Depp, a three-time Oscar nominee, and Heard met in 2009 on the set of the film The Rum Diary and were married in February 2015. Their divorce was finalised two years later.