Johnny Depp 'never learns scripts and pays sound engineers to feed him lines'

Criticism of actor's professionalism emerges in long-running legal dispute with former representatives The Management Group

(Getty)

Johnny Depp has spent years not memorising his lines and instead employs a sound engineer to feed them to him, his former managers have said.

The Management Group (TMG) also said the Pirates Of The Caribbean actor frequently spent more than two million dollars (£1.5m) a month and should be tested for “compulsive spending disorder”.

TMG was hitting back at the Hollywood star, 53, after he launched a lawsuit against the firm claiming “gross mismanagement” cost him “tens of millions of dollars”.

In documents filed at Los Angeles Superior Court on Monday, the firm said Depp spent an unaffordable sum to fund his “ultra-extravagant” lifestyle.

Lawyer Michael Kump, on behalf of TMG, said Depp's expenditure included $75 million (£58m) to buy 14 homes, including a chateau in the South of France, a chain of Bahaman islands and multiple Hollywood houses.

Depp also spent $30,000 (£23,000) a month on expensive wines and paid three million (£2.3m) to have the ashes of author Hunter S Thompson blasted over Aspen from a specially-crafted cannon, TMG claimed.

The firm added: “He spent hundreds of thousands of dollars to employ a full-time sound engineer, who Depp has used for years to feed him lines during film production.

“Depp insisted that this sound engineer be kept on a yearly retainer so that he no longer had to memorise his lines.”

In January, Depp filed 11 complaints including fraud and professional negligence against TMG and its owners, Joel and Robert Mandel.

The action came as Depp's multi-million dollar divorce from Amber Heard was finalised after she accused him of domestic abuse.

Depp is seeking damages of more than $25 million (£19m) from the firm he sacked in March 2016 after 17 years together.

But in the latest documents filed in the battle, lawyers for TMG said Depp refused to listen when managers did “everything possible” to halt his “profligate” spending.

“In retrospect, it appears that Depp may suffer from a compulsive spending disorder, which will be proven in this action through a mental examination of Depp,” TMG added.

Mr Kump asked the court to find Depp responsible for his spending and said TMG is seeking damages of at least $560,000 (£433,000).

The case will return to court on 17 May.

Copyright Press Association