Amber Heard’s ‘private investigator’ reveals his shock over unwavering support for Johnny Depp after being hired to dig up dirt on the actor for defamation trial in new book

The former private investigator hired by Amber Heard’s legal team to dig up dirt on Johnny Depp admits he was stunned by the level of unwavering support shown to the actor while he was dealing with abuse allegations.

In his new self-published book, Johnny Depp’s Unintentional Fixerwhich was released on July 5, Paul Barresi, 74, recalls interviewing 100 people ahead of Depp’s libel trial against his ex-wife, only to find that most still sided with the star.

They described Depp as a “gentleman’s gentleman” and as someone who “doesn’t have an ounce of meanness in him”, despite the disturbing allegations made against him.

Friends of the Pirates of the Caribbean star also told Barresi that Depp had “respect and admiration for women,” contrary to Heard’s claims that he physically and mentally abused women.

But according to Barresi, a former porn actor turned private investigator and Hollywood fixer whose previous clients include Arnold Schwarzenegger, Tom Cruise and Sylvester Stallone, he had embarked on a “relentless search for the truth” about Depp, even if the findings were not what Heard’s lawyers wanted.

Barresi was first hired by Heard’s team in July 2019 to gather information useful against Depp ahead of the defamation trials in the UK and US.

Depp ultimately lost a 2020 libel case at the High Court in London against a British newspaper that had labelled him a “wife beater”, with the judge ruling that he had put Heard in fear for her life.

But back in the US, a second defamation case against Heard in Virginia ruled in Depp’s favor, with the jury awarding him a total of $15 million: $10 million in compensatory damages and $5 million in punitive damages.

Barresi did not specify which case he worked on, only that he was assigned to “delve into the life and history of Johnny Depp and find evidence of his alleged physical abuse of women.”

He was ordered to unearth witness statements, videos, photographs and other items that could corroborate Heard’s claims against Depp.

But when Barresi spoke to Depp’s associates, he found the picture was more positive than Heard’s lawyers had hoped.

Brad Furman, the director of the 2018 crime thriller City of Lies, was among those who denied a number of allegations against Depp over the years.

The Hollywood star was charged in 2017 with assault by the film’s location manager, Gregg Brooks.

The crew member alleged that Depp became violent towards him on the set of the film.

Brooks’ personal assistant Miguel Guittierrez backed him up, saying Depp offered Brooks $100,000 to punch him in the face and then punched Brooks twice in the lower body.

Furman disagreed, telling Barresi that the fight didn’t get physical and that Depp had “always been entertaining.”

A production assistant on set also said Depp was “nice,” and a retired LAPD officer who worked on the film said the fight seemed “trivial” to him.

When Barresi suggested that Depp was violent, model and actress Carre Otis laughed at the idea, calling it “ridiculous,” he writes in the book.

Former child star Olivia Barash, who worked at the famous Hollywood nightclub The Viper Room, which Depp owned in the 1990s, agreed, claiming: “Johnny doesn’t have a mean bone in his body.”

Richmond Arquette, of the Arquette acting clan who also worked in the Viper Room, called Depp “a true gentleman.”

Barresi expanded his network and spoke to others who had known Depp for years.

Among them was singer Chuck Weiss, who said, “Johnny has always shown respect and admiration for women in my presence.”

Journalist Seven McDonald dismissed Barresi’s attempts to dig up dirt on Depp, saying she had never known the actor to be threatening.

She said, “I don’t think I can help you. Johnny is a lovely man. I’ve never seen him be violent – ​​in fact quite the opposite. Johnny Depp is the type of guy who would crawl down a drainpipe to save a drowning kitten.”

Tattoo artist Jonathan Shaw, a close friend of the actor, has been perhaps Depp’s most outspoken defender.

He told Barresi: ‘Johnny is super controlled and a superhuman being.

“The only thing I’d like to help that gold-digging bitch (Heard) do is load the gun she was going to blow her f*cking brains out with.”

Barresi also gives some unflattering descriptions of Depp.

Journalist Mark Ebner recounted how Depp threatened to “set him on fire” during a confrontation in the Viper Room. According to Barresi, this was a “chilling precursor” to Depp’s now-infamous text message to his acting buddy Paul Bettany about burning Heard, a detail that came to light during the Virginia trial.

The ex-wife of Depp’s best friend Isaac Baruch said Baruch was a “manipulator” and that he and Depp were “kindred spirits.”

But overall, Barresi had a lot of admiration for Depp, saying he felt “deep empathy for his struggles and victories.”

Barresi’s research allowed him to understand the “complexity of his character,” he writes.

Barresi writes, “With this journey I wanted to honor our shared humanity, by shedding light on the man behind the myths and offering a story grounded in genuine understanding and compassion.”