jul 24, 2017 - DAILY MAIL EXCLUSIVE: Johnny Depp demands claims he has 'psychological issues' and a 'compulsive spending disorder' be stricken from counter-suit by TMG as an attempt to 'publicly vilify' him

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FROM THE DAILY MAIL:

Johnny Depp is demanding that allegations he has 'psychological issues' and a 'compulsive spending disorder' be stricken from the $25 million legal battle with his former business managers.

Court documents obtained by DailyMail.com reveal the Hollywood star has accused the duo of disclosing information they learned while working with him, only to use it against him in a vicious attack to ruin his reputation.

The actor accuses his former advisers of adding 'irrelevant and improper' statements to their response - which he believes constitutes 'inflammatory material' - only to try and 'viciously attack' him in the public sphere

The 54-year-old actor filed a multi-million dollar fraud lawsuit in January against his former business managers Robert and Joel Mandel at The Management Group, who he fired in 2016. He filed the suit after his new managers alleged financial misconduct on the part of the Mandels.

Depp explained he paid the firm $28 million in fees for legal, business, tax and accounting services from 1996-2016.

He accused them of negligence, fraud, and breach of fiduciary duty for failing to pay his taxes on time resulting in $5.6 million in federal tax penalties and interest, and claims they loaned $10 million of his money to third parties without permission and kept messy financial records.

Depp also accuses them of using his money to invest in businesses his managers had an interest in.

The firm fired back denying the claims and accusing the big-spending A-list actor of living an expensive high-life with 14 homes, an $18 million luxury yacht, and even dropping $30,000 a month on fancy wine.
The Pirates of the Caribbean star - who TMG says still owes it $4.2million - also allegedly spent extravagantly on his staff, homes, and gifts.

His business managers claimed they did everything to manage the actor's finances and warned him about his overspending multiple times.

They blamed him solely for his dire financial situation claiming he spent $2 million a month to maintain his lavish lifestyle spending $75 million on 14 homes, $1 million to archive his Marlon Brando and Marilyn Monroe memorabilia, $300,000 a month on 40 full-time employees, $150,000 on 24/7 security for him and his family and $200,000 a month in private jet costs.

Lawyers for TMG also argued his expenditures such as the $400,000 diamond cuff for his ex-wife Amber Heard and $5 million to shoot the ashes of his friend author Hunter S. Thompson out of a cannon in Aspen, were to blame for his financial predicament.

Last week, a judge ruled Depp's personal spending habits were not currently relevant and don't impact the fraud aspect of the case.

The judge dismissed their declaratory relief claims, but ruled TMG's fraud claims against its former client will be allowed to proceed.

On Thursday, TMG headed back to court with a second amended cross-complaint, vehemently denying Depp's claims and adding more details of the actor's extreme spending habits in their arguments.

The group claims Depp spent more than $500,000 in storage rental fees to keep his Hollywood memorabilia, spent $17,000 in luggage at Prada, and bought his daughter Lily-Rose a $7,000 Keeping Up With the Kardashians couch as a gift, according to the Hollywood Reporter.

After firing TMG, his former managers claim Depp continued to make minimum credit card payments before ultimately forcing them to pay off the rest of his $55,000 dent. They deny not paying the star's income tax in a timely manner and allege Depp simply refused to follow his team's advice on avoiding penalties and interest accruals.

As far the claims that TMG lent $10 million of the actor's money without his permission, the group argues that Depp still employs 'these two individuals in important, high-level positions even after they supposedly took well over $7 million in unauthorized distributions.'

Last week, Depp had filed a motion demanding the court strike large portions of TMG's 28-page response to his lawsuit.

The actor accuses his former advisers of adding 'irrelevant and improper' statements to their response - which he believes constitutes 'inflammatory material' - only to try and 'viciously attack' him in the public sphere.

Depp says they included over 100 paragraphs which have unnecessary detail that is beyond the scope of what is required to answer a complaint.

He takes issue with background facts TMG included in their filing including allegations Depp 'spent $75 million to acquire, improve and furnish certain residences'.

He argued this has nothing to do with any particular allegation in the lawsuit, adding that the section appears to be 'designed solely and gratuitously' to attack his character.

Furthermore, Depp points to the claim that he engaged in a practice of habitual lying which – as his ex-managers stated: 'has become Depp's modus operandi when confronted with and asked to take responsibility for his continually outrageous and sad conduct', saying this false allegation is only an attack that serves as a vehicle for distracting from the main issues of the case.

Depp says adding gratuitous and unnecessary allegations that he has a compulsive spending disorder and psychological issues is an opportunity for them to attack him and raise confidential matters which they obtained while working for him.

He adds that these statements have nothing to do with his financial condition.

Depp's legal team maintains that the allegations made by the group contain 'neither general or specific denials, nor statements of "new matters" constituting a defense.'

Depp is demanding the judge force TMG to amend their answer and strike the 100 paragraphs of allegations from the record.

The filing concludes that the TMG response constitutes 'irrelevant, false, and improper matter' and should be stricken.

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