‘Murder on the Orient Express’: Did Johnny Depp create cast drama?
After the whole Amber Heard situation, Johnny Depp’s reputation took a big hit. Johnny Depp was once a beloved actor who brought memorable characters to life including Edward Scissorhands, Jack Sparrow, and most recently, the Harry Potter franchise’s latest villain, Fantastic Beasts’s Gellert Grindelwald. Now the actor is struggling to land a role as his libel lawsuit has affected the franchises he’s worked in.
It might seem like Johnny Depp’s problem started after the lawsuit which is why he wasn’t cast again for the Fantastic Beasts films. However, the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise was recently brought up in the legal dispute as Amber Heard claimed Johnny Depp had kept her hostage during the filming of Disney’s franchise.
Could it be that Johnny Depp’s problematic behavior precedes his libel lawsuit against Amber Heard? Find out what we know about Depp’s issues on the set of Murder on the Orient Express.
Partying too hard
During the filming of Murder on the Orient Express, Johnny Depp reportedly had conduct issues that could’ve cost him the role. The movie’s director and one of Depp’s costars, Kenneth Branagh, had to be sterner about the set rules to keep Johnny Depp’s behavior at bay as his partying habits were extremely evident.
Allegedly, Johnny Depp was late for the first day of rehearsal. This didn’t sit well with Branagh who told Johnny Depp he wasn’t going to work under those conditions. The director reportedly said: ‘That’s not the way I work. I don’t allow lateness. If you choose that behavior, you can leave the film. Right now. It’s fine.”
Although Johnny Depp seemed receptive to Kenneth Branagh’s ultimatum and continued being a member of the cast, this wasn’t the first or last time Depp had been seen partying too much. Dr. David Kipper, the doctor who helped Depp go through his detox process, even noted the movie star romanticized drugs.
Depp’s issues on the set of Murder on the Orient Express coincided with his divorce from Amber Heard, which could also help explain his behavior. Nevertheless, Johnny Depp would often take drugs like cocaine or ecstasy in addition to his alcohol problem.
Depp vs. Heard
Recently, whenever we see something about Johnny Depp or Amber Heard in the news, chances are there’s going to be some new gossip about their messy marriage and Depp’s libel lawsuit.
It might seem like Depp & Heard are in a lawsuit against each other, but everything that’s come to light about the chaotic ex-couple has been part of Depp’s libel lawsuit against The Sun. The case started with a 2018 article in which Johnny Depp was accused of beating his ex-wife Amber Heard.
Because of the type of lawsuit, the main goal was to prove that there was enough information for The Sun to reasonably state he was a “wife-beater” in a byline, even if the evidence wasn’t irrefutable.
Since Johnny Depp isn’t fighting a criminal lawsuit, many have wondered if the struggle was worth the pain. Depp is currently appealing the decision against him in his case vs. The Sun but in return, he’s had to spend a huge amount of money, have most of his private life revealed to the public, and resign to being part of the cast of Fantastic Beasts upcoming movies.
Heard’s fake charity
The dispute against The Sun hasn’t only prejudiced Murder on the Orient Express’s star, but Amber Heard as well. As part of the libel lawsuit, Heard’s lawyers argued she hadn’t leaked Depp’s abuse claims looking for money since, in fact, she donated seven million dollars as part of the divorce settlement.
Johnny Depp’s team argued against Heard’s claims, alleging she hadn’t donated that amount to charity. Amber Heard’s lawyers explained that she had donated part of it but hasn’t given the full amount to charity since the libel lawsuit has been extremely expensive.
Of course, Amber Heard’s excuse didn’t sit well with the fans. This fake charity incident only turned more people against Heard, who has also been accused of abuse towards Depp during the legal dispute.
