Johnny Depp goes back to court: How Emma Danoff's testimony could prove actor's innocence in the Gregg Brooks assault trial

Days after Johnny Depp emerged as the winner of his high-profile defamation lawsuit against ex-wife Amber Heard, he is set to appear for yet another trial in court. The 59-year-old will testify after former location manager Gregg Brooks sued the actor for punching him on the set of City of Lies in April, 2017.

One of the witnesses of the alleged incident, Emma Danoff, gave her statement in favor of Depp, stating that the event unfolded in a different manner than what Brooks claimed in his lawsuit, going on to say that Depp had defended a homeless black woman who was being insulted by Brooks.

According to New York Post, court verdict supported the Charlie and the Chocolate Factory star. Depp will speak in the Los Angeles Superior Court on July 25, after more than four days of testimony.

His defense, will be led by Benjamin Chew and Camille Vasquez. The duo had also represented him in his recent defamation trial against Heard.

---

"They had a little moment, there weren't punches": Emma Danoff defends Johnny Depp

Emma Danoff, who happened to be the script supervisor on the film set, claimed that Gregg Brooks called a homeless Black woman "racial and derogatory" slurs, and Depp, who was present nearby, stood up for her.

“He immediately stood up from our shared seat on the edge of a planter bench and went over to Brooks to stand up for the woman. Mr. Depp said to Mr. Brooks, ‘You can’t talk to her like that. You think she is something less that you? Who do you think you are? How dare you?'”

Danoff claims there were no punches thrown and no $100,000 offer was made, and said that she would submit 40 time-stamped images to prove it.

---

This is not the first time that Danoff has taken Johnny Depp's stand on the alleged assault case against Gregg Brooks.

Back in 2018, she told The Daily Beast that the incident between Depp and Brooks did not flare up beyond a verbal confrontation:

"They had a little moment, there weren't punches, there wasn't anything, just were in each others' face for a second."

In a statement given to Us Weekly, City of Lies director Brad Furman defended Depp by stating:

"Johnny Depp is a consummate professional, great collaborator and a supporter of other artists. 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."

---

Details of the case filed by Gregg Brooks against Johnny Depp

Gregg Brooks, the location manager of Depp's film, City of Lies, which is about the murder of rapper The Notorious B.I.G., accused the actor of striking him in the chest during an argument on the Los Angeles set in April, 2017.

According to the case, which was filed in July 2018, Brooks claimed that Depp became agitated after finding that production would have to halt one night after their municipal permission was repeatedly extended, as reported by Us Weekly.

The actor is said to have punched Brooks twice in the ribs before shouting:

"I will give you $100,000 to punch me in the face right now."

When his alleged comments received no response, Johnny Depp continued to yell at him in front of everyone present at the scene, until his bodyguards had to remove him from the place.

Brooks stated that Depp's breath "reeked of alcohol" at the time, and that when he returned to the film set three days later, producer Miriam Segal reportedly requested him to sign a statement, promising not to sue the production crew. Brooks said he was fired for declining.