Private investigator Paul Barresi was hired by Heard’s lawyers to look into the allegations against Johnny Depp, and he revealed that he received numerous favorable appraisals for the actor. In his new book, Barresi talks about his time working on the case and how he uncovered proof of the former’s alleged abuse.
According to Barresi, he was instructed to look into various pieces of evidence, such as photos and videos, to see if they could prove Heard’s claims of mental and physical abuse. Although he was able to interview over a hundred individuals, the 74-year-old private investigator noted that most of them portrayed Depp as a gentleman.
Contrary to what the Aqua Man actresses claimed, Depp’s friends stated that he was a gentleman who was very respectful towards women. Brad Furman, who directed the 2018 crime thriller City Of Lies, also stated that he did not agree with some of the allegations against the actor. In 2017, Gregg Brooks, the movie’s location manager, sued Depp for assault.
Brooks claimed that during the filming of the movie, Depp became violent toward him. His assistant Miguel Gutierrez stated that the actor asked for $100,000 to hit him in the face before he punched him twice in the lower part of his torso. According to Barresi, Furman then stated that the fight never happened and that Depp was always charming.
Barresi was also told by a production assistant that the fight was trivial, while a film crew member stated that Depp was a lovely individual. He went on to say that he was set back by his desire to find the truth about the actor after he was asked to look into statements by his long-time friends, such as Chuck Weiss.
Jonathan Shaw, who is one of Depp’s close friends, referred to him as a superhuman being. Despite the various accounts against the actor, Barresi still admired him. Journalist Mark Ebner claimed that during a fight, Depp threatened to set him on fire. According to the private investigator, this incident prevented the actor from sending a message to Paul Bettany regarding burning Heard.
Isaac Baruch, who is a friend of Depp’s, referred to him as a manipulator. His ex-wife stated that they were both “birds of a feather”. Barresi, who has worked with some of the biggest names in the industry, including Arnold Schwarzenegger, Sylvester Stallone, and Tom Cruise, stated that he wanted to share a narrative that was grounded in compassion and genuine understanding.
In his 2019 memoir, Depp revealed that he was hired by Amber Heard’s legal team. However, he did not reveal which of his various defamation cases he had worked on. For instance, it could have been his case against a newspaper in the UK, which called him a “wife-beater.” A judge ruled that the actor had put Heard in danger.
In 2022, Mr Depp won a case against Ms. Heard in Virginia. He had sued her for $50 million, claiming that she had defamed him through an article she wrote in 2018, in which she referred to herself as a domestic abuse advocate. Although the article was never named the actor, his legal team stated that the allegations were untrue and cost him several million dollars in earnings.
On June 1, 2022, Mr. Depp won his defamation case against Ms. Heard after a jury ruled that she had defamed him through an article she wrote in 2018. She was ordered to pay him around $10.35 million in damages. At the time, the actor said that he was humbled by the outcome and was grateful for the jury’s decision.
In a statement, the actor thanked his family and those who supported him, saying that he was finally able to speak the truth. He added that he felt at peace after the verdict. Ms. Heard, on the other hand, was awarded $2 million after the jury ruled that her article was a hoax. Her press agent had called the allegations against the actor a fabrication.
After the verdict, Ms. Heard posted a statement on Instagram, stating that she was disappointed with the outcome. She said that the evidence that she had presented was not enough to stop Depp’s power and influence.
