Rushing to his defense. Director Brad Furman stood up for Johnny Depp in the wake of allegations about drama with a crew member on the set of LAbyrinth.
“Johnny Depp is a consummate professional, great collaborator and a supporter of other artists,” the filmmaker said in a statement to Us Weekly. “He always treats the crew and people around him with the utmost respect. Movies can be stressful, and nonevents often become exaggerated. We all love stories — there isn’t one here.”
Page Six reported on Monday, May 7, that Depp, 54, got into an altercation with a crew member on the set of LAbyrinth after the location manager informed the actor a scene had to be wrapped due to a permit running out. Depp reportedly became irate and allegedly tried to “attack” the crew member.
Depp stars in LAbyrinth as Russell Poole, a real-life LAPD detective who investigated the murders of Tupac Shakur and The Notorious B.I.G. The actor was photographed filming the thriller in late 2016 and early 2017.
The Pirates of the Caribbean star has a history of alleged violent behavior. Ex-wife Amber Heard accused Depp of abusing her in May 2016, claiming he was verbally and physically abusive throughout their relationship. He reportedly went so far as to cut off the tip of his finger during one of his explosive fights with the actress. The couple’s divorce was finalized in January 2017.
Furman is not the first collaborator to defend Depp. Author J.K. Rowling spoke out in December 2017 about her decision to keep the actor in the upcoming Fantastic Beasts sequel amid growing controversy: “Based on our understanding of the circumstances, the filmmakers and I are not only comfortable sticking with our original casting, but genuinely happy to have Johnny playing a major character in the movies.”
