Bruce Witkin — Direct
334 linesCOURT BAILIFF: All rise.
COURT BAILIFF: Please be seated and come to order.
THE COURT: Thank you.
THE COURT: I apologize. We had a delayed juror but now we have all the jury, so we're good to go.
THE COURT: Do we have any preliminary matters?
MS. BREDEHOFT: Yes, Your Honor.
THE COURT: Sure.
MR. NADELHAFT: Your Honor, I'm not sure you if saw my email --
THE COURT: I did. Sandy emailed it to me.
MR. ROTTENBORN: It's deeply troubling. It appears to be, I know it's up to you, a blatant violation of the Court's order. The jury, I don't know where they park, I assume they park in the public garage, they walk past that. And just have deep concerns about the integrity of this process when things like that are happening.
THE COURT: All right.
MR. CHEW: Your Honor, if I may be heard. I can give a little context. I will apologize, but if I can put it in context.
THE COURT: Sure.
MR. CHEW: The night before last, Ms. Vasquez got a very serious death threat. I know there are other threats going back and forth, but it was very serious. It was after her
THE COURT: Which is still against my order.
MR. CHEW: I apologize. I do apologize, but it's completely my fault. I was taking a picture for my boys, who I haven't seen in five weeks. I apologize. No excuse. It's not prejudice, there's no disrespect. In fact, I don't see how it's prejudicial.
THE COURT: You can see if jurors are coming out there and you're doing pictures with alpacas. You can understand that?
MR. CHEW: I do understand that, Your Honor, and I do apologize. But I don't think that that happened and we were surrounded, and we contacted some people to escort us from now on.
THE COURT: Yeah, you probably shouldn't go out there until your car is ready.
MR. CHEW: We won't. And that's why I mentioned the phone. Because I literally did not have my phone because it was being fixed. It still hasn't been fixed. Our assistant has to come back again today at lunchtime and get it fixed.
THE COURT: Is Okay. You're getting escorted, too, right? Are they escorted?
THE COURT: Okay.
MR. ROTTENBORN: But, obviously, there's no excuse for -- it's horrible that Ms. Vasquez received a death threat. We've received them too.
MR. ROTTENBORN: We have been some days. A little less -- fewer people, but some days we have.
THE COURT: I know you have.
MR. ROTTENBORN: That doesn't address --
THE COURT: I understand.
MR. ROTTENBORN: It wasn't just Mr. Chew was posing for pictures, he was also taking a picture of Ms. Vasquez. And I get that it's tough but we just have -- and I'm not going to impute that notice to Mr. Chew and Ms. Vasquez, but Mr. Depp's online army of support is zealous, to say the least, and when things like this go viral, it only makes it harder for the jury to avoid.
THE COURT: I understand.
MR. ROTTENBORN: It's just a blatant, black-and-white violation of the Court's order.
THE COURT: Okay. So you're obviously on notice from now.
THE COURT: There will be sanctions if it happens again.
THE COURT: You need to figure it out. I don't want you -- if people are videotaping -- you can't be standing there when people are videotaping.
THE COURT: You can't be engaging with them It's going to be silence the whole way.
THE COURT: In cars, gone. I don't want to see any grandstanding, whatsoever.
THE COURT: It just can't happen again.
THE COURT: Additionally, it was brought to my attention this morning, so I just want to get this on the record also. There was an employee's kids out on the balcony in the back chambers area, that when you're at the judge's lot, you can see this balcony on the fifth floor. There were kids out there yesterday when people were coming in, and they were videotaping the arrivals of your clients. One of the kids posted it on TikTok, I found out this morning. It's been removed from TikTok and nobody can go on that balcony again for the duration of this trial.
THE COURT: But since it happened, I wanted to let you all be aware of it and I have dealt with it.
THE COURT: Very sternly. I want to make you aware of that as well.
THE COURT: Anything else?
MR. ROTTENBORN: Yes, Mr. Dennison had Is a -- l
THE COURT: Good morning, Mr. Dennison. Come on in.
MR. DENNISON: Thank you. Your Honor, this is a procedural issue. One of the witnesses that's on the witness list today, Adam Bercovici, was designated solely as a rebuttal witness by the defendant, and we never put on the expert that would be --
THE COURT: More people are coming.
MR. DENNISON: The subject of the rebuttal.
MR. ROTTENBORN: Your Honor, Mr. Treece filled in to do his examination, and that's why I
MR. DENNISON: No, no.
MR. ROTTENBORN: He was just saying ! 1 that --
THE COURT: He was just designated as a rebuttal witness.
THE COURT: If he's only designated as rebuttal --
THE COURT: Facts of what?
TREECE: To the facts that the officers presented. So there's the designation. So, these are rebuttal witnesses. They put on the officers in their case-in-chief to say that the officers saw this and the officers concluded that there was no evidence of domestic violence.
THE COURT: Okay. The beginning of it says Mr. Bercovici, and I'm sorry --
THE COURT: I'll just call him Mr. B.
THE COURT: Will provide a rebuttal opinion to plaintiff's expert, Rachel Frost.
THE COURT: No, no. That's the designation.
THE COURT: To Rachel Frost.
THE COURT: That's the designation, that's what it is. Sorry, sir.
MR. DENNISON: Thank you, Your Honor.
THE COURT: All right. Are we ready for anything else? All right.
THE COURT: Are we ready for the jury, then?
THE COURT: All right. Good morning, ladies and gentlemen.
THE COURT: Your next witness.
MS. BREDEHOFT: Your Honor, we'd like to call Bruce Witkin, and it's by deposition designation.
THE COURT: Who's first?
MS. BREDEHOFT: I think we are.
MS. BREDEHOFT: Think we asked the questions first.
THE COURT: All right. Thank you.
MS. BREDEHOFT: Thank you. Sorry, Your Honor.
THE COURT: That's all right.
THE COURT: BRUCE WITKIN, being first duly sworn, was examined and testified as follows:
MS. STEMLAND: Could you please state your name and business address for the record, please?
BRUCE WITKIN: Bruce Witkin. California, 91607.
MS. STEMLAND: And how did you meet Mr. Depp?
BRUCE WITKIN: He joined the band that I was in, in Florida.
MS. STEMLAND: And did Depp ever become family?
BRUCE WITKIN: To me? Yeah.
MS. STEMLAND: Who was the first person that Depp married?
BRUCE WITKIN: My sister-in-law, Lori Ann Allison.
MS. STEMLAND: Was that around the time?
BRUCE WITKIN: Right when we moved out here, 1984.
MS. STEMLAND: So how long have you known Mr. Depp? How many years?
BRUCE WITKIN: Got to be over 40. From to now.
MS. STEMLAND: Would you consider yourself friends with Mr. Depp?
BRUCE WITKIN: We were until about four years ago, yeah.
MS. STEMLAND: Okay. And before four years ago, were you close friends?
BRUCE WITKIN: Yeah, I would consider him my best friend, yeah.
MS. STEMLAND: Was he like a brother to you before four years ago?
MS. STEMLAND: !z me a brother, I'd call him a brother, yeah. We have had a lot in common.
MS. STEMLAND: Is it fair to say that he was like family before four years ago? )6
BRUCE WITKIN: Yeah. I mean, he was friends with my Yeah, we were brothers. He would call mom, my mom loved him. I mean, you know, we were as close as you can get.
MS. STEMLAND: And do you agree to tell the truth l l O today, regardless of your close past friendship I .I 1 WI th Mr. Depp?
BRUCE WITKIN: I'll tell the truth either way, yes.
MS. STEMLAND: From about 2011 until 2016, how often do you think that you would -- how often do you estimate that you would have communicated with Mr. Depp?
BRUCE WITKIN: A lot. We were working a lot of music together. We did a film together -- well, he did the film, I just helped record some stuff. A lot. A lot of time between there. Him and I spent a lot of time from around 2001 until 2015.
MS. STEMLAND: Based on your personal observations, from 2011 to 2016, did Mr. Depp ever abuse illicit drugs?
BRUCE WITKIN: Yeah, I mean, I think "abuse" is the wrong word, but, you know, I think that, yeah, it was - you know, we were going on. Your know, it wasn't, like, crazy rock and roll house, no. But I wouldn't call it abuse.
MS. STEMLAND: What word would you use instead of abuse?
BRUCE WITKIN: Getting high.
MS. STEMLAND: What? Oh.
BRUCE WITKIN: Getting high.
MS. STEMLAND: Okay. Getting high on cocaine?
BRUCE WITKIN: Yeah, once in a while, if I saw it, you know. I mean, that's a handful of times I saw it 161 don't think he liked to do it in front of me.
MS. STEMLAND: Did you ever observe forgetfulness in Mr. Depp after he'd been drinking or using substances?
BRUCE WITKIN: Forgetfulness? No. I think he's got a pretty good memory. But my personal experience with him, no.
MS. STEMLAND: Did Mr. Depp's drugs or alcohol ever impact the band when you were bandmates or music performances?
BRUCE WITKIN: We were all young. We were kids. We all did bad stuff then.
MS. STEMLAND: Are you aware of Mr. Depp achieving any period of sobriety during the years that you've known him?
BRUCE WITKIN: Yeah.
MS. STEMLAND: And when was that?
BRUCE WITKIN: It's hard for me to - I mean, it was right around - you'd have to look it up, when he did Lone Ranger. He seemed really kind of focused, he wasn't drinking. I went to visit him, I believe it was New Mexico, Amber was there. Everything was, like, different. You know, he was proud of it, he wasn't drinking. I think he was smoking a little weed, but that was it.
MS. STEMLAND: And do you remember about what year that was?
BRUCE WITKIN: I'm feeling it's 2013, but I'd have to look to see when Lone Ranger was.
MS. STEMLAND: Is there a time that you believe that /2 Mr. Depp needed help with substance abuse? ,3
BRUCE WITKIN: As a friend, yes.
MS. STEMLAND: And do you know who Dr. Kipper is?
BRUCE WITKIN: Oh, yeah.
MS. STEMLAND: And what do you know about Dr. Kipper in relation to Mr. Depp?
BRUCE WITKIN: I don't have a strong opinion of Dr. Kipper, but I'll be honest as I can. He was a doctor brought on, I believe, to help him get sober. He was a sober doctor. And I believe he had a nurse with Johnny and a nurse with Amber, at the time. I thought it was a scam. I thought it was a complete ripoff. But that's just me.
MS. STEMLAND: Can you, please, bring up Exhibit 3.
MS. STEMLAND: Does this look like a true and accurate . s copy of this exchange?
BRUCE WITKIN: Yes.
MS. STEMLAND: Regarding the lines "I'm really worried about him and this Dr. Kipper," what did you mean by that?
BRUCE WITKIN: Like I said, I didn't trust this guy.
MS. STEMLAND: And were you ever worried about Mr. Depp's health?
BRUCE WITKIN: Yeah. I mean, I would be, you know. I loved the guy, you know. I didn't know what he was taking. But they just both seemed like I zombies.
MS. STEMLAND: And why were you concerned?
BRUCE WITKIN: Just because I saw how he looked and know what he was going through. So, yeah, I was concerned but there was no - I couldn't get back in there and try to help.
MS. STEMLAND: Were you nervous for him in relation to drugs and alcohol?
BRUCE WITKIN: Yes. p6
MS. STEMLAND: So you did have some health concerns or not?
BRUCE WITKIN: Well, yeah. I mean, like I said, we're not as old - young as we used to be and, you know, there was a part, during that time, that he was hitting it pretty hard, you could tell. And I just didn't want anything to happen to him
MS. STEMLAND: And those concerns related to Mr. Depp's health?
BRUCE WITKIN: Yeah.
MS. STEMLAND: And Mr. Depp's -- they related to Mr. Depp's drug and alcohol use?
BRUCE WITKIN: Yes.
MS. STEMLAND: Back to Kipper for a moment. Do you know if when Dr. Kipper prescribed drugs, you know, would Mr. Depp also take anything else besides that? For example, would Mr. Depp drink alcohol or use other drugs in addition to prescription drugs during 2011 to 2016?
BRUCE WITKIN: The answer would be yes. It just seemed odd to me that there was weed and wine in the soberness. Didn't make sense to me.
MS. STEMLAND: And has Amber been nice to you since you've met her?
BRUCE WITKIN: Amber was always very nice to me, yes.
MS. STEMLAND: And would you consider Mr. Depp to be a romantic person?
BRUCE WITKIN: Yeah, I think so.
MS. STEMLAND: And why do you say that?
BRUCE WITKIN: Just by the way I've seen him act, you know.
MS. STEMLAND: And have you noticed a certain intensity of Mr. Depp's relationships?
BRUCE WITKIN: Yes.
MS. STEMLAND: And have you ever observed Mr. Depp exhibit any jealousy when he's been in a relationship?
BRUCE WITKIN: Yes.
MS. STEMLAND: And do you remember when?
BRUCE WITKIN: Going all the way back to my sister-in-law. I mean, he could definitely have a jealous streak in him.
MS. STEMLAND: Can you remember any specific examples?
BRUCE WITKIN: You know, when he was younger, he was jealous of Nick Cage, jealous of Adam Ant, because my sister-in-law knew them.
MS. STEMLAND: Besides that initial time period, did he ever tell you about any jealousy with any other women or any other times?
BRUCE WITKIN: Yeah. You know, he brought up a few I ! I! with Vanessa, which were ridiculous. A lot of it was in his head and not, you know, in reality. You know what I mean?
MS. STEMLAND: What about with Amber? Did you ever respect to Amber?
MS. STEMLAND: Encounter any talk from JD of jealousy with
BRUCE WITKIN: Yeah, there were a couple mentions that Is she was doing a movie with some guy, or stuff like I that.
MS. STEMLAND: In terms of jealousy, would anything 1 11 make Mr. Depp more bothered or less bothered?
BRUCE WITKIN: Like I said, if she was on a film or doing something that he couldn't be around it to see what was going on, I think he'd work himself up, you know.
MS. STEMLAND: Can we, please, bring up Exhibit 6.
MS. STEMLAND: And the very top line, if you can see that, Mr. Witkin.
BRUCE WITKIN: Right.
MS. STEMLAND: Do you see your name is in the I participants' column and him, or Mr. Depp is in I the "from" column?
BRUCE WITKIN: Right
MS. STEMLAND: It's dated February 4th, 2014.
MS. STEMLAND: Did Mr. Depp ever tell you that he had a big fight with Amber, at any time? •6
BRUCE WITKIN: He would mention when shit was rough, yeah. When they were having issues, yeah, he would mention it
MS. STEMLAND: Do you have any personal knowledge of l observing Mr. Depp and Mr. Manson together?
BRUCE WITKIN: Yeah. But you can't blame somebody's drug abuse on somebody else. But, yeah, him and Manson would hit it pretty hard as well.
MS. STEMLAND: And they would -- by "hit it hard," they would do ...
BRUCE WITKIN: They would drink and smoke weed. I don't know if I ever saw Manson do blow, but I would assume that he did. He's done everything ! 19 else.
MS. STEMLAND: But you would see them drink together?
BRUCE WITKIN: Yeah. I worked with them both on a few things, so ...
MS. STEMLAND: Let's go to Exhibit 8, please.
MS. STEMLAND: We can see that it's the same date. It's February 3rd, 2014, a text exchange between you and Amber.
MS. STEMLAND: Do you have a --
BRUCE WITKIN: I have a vague memory of him hanging out at Manson's house for a couple days.
MS. STEMLAND: Do you know what kind of professional O help, more specifically?
BRUCE WITKIN: I mean, yeah. To kind of clean up. I mean, he tried to clean up a couple times, and he did. I think he needed that, and he needed therapy, you know. And I recommended that to him. He did it a little bit, but then he stopped because, from my experience, it's deeper issues he had to deal with. It has no thing to do with Amber. That's my opinion.
MS. STEMLAND: Okay. So you're referring to two types of professional help there, one was therapy and one was cleaning up for drugs; is that fair?
BRUCE WITKIN: Yeah.
MS. STEMLAND: Can we, please, bring up Exhibit 9.
MS. STEMLAND: So this is actually a continuation of that same date, exchange from February 3rd, 2014. And I'll give you a minute to read it. They're texts between you and Amber.
BRUCE WITKIN: Right.
MS. STEMLAND: Do you think that you were going over there out of concern?
BRUCE WITKIN: I mean, I obviously -- she was concerned, so I was concerned and, you know, going to Manson's would have been interesting because I don't know if he would have left. But I was trying to get there. I know it looks like I was trying to get through to Manson, or find out where they were.
MS. STEMLAND: Okay.
MS. STEMLAND: Can we pull up Exhibit 10, please.
MS. STEMLAND: Do you remember this exchange as sort of a continuation of the last exchange?
BRUCE WITKIN: Yeah, probably what I was doing was . I ,- reaching out to the assistants to see where the fuck he was and how he was. Because, obviously, I ,3 didn't get any real answers.
MS. STEMLAND: Can I, please, bring up Exhibit 12.
MS. STEMLAND: April 28th of 2016.
BRUCE WITKIN: Oh, okay.
MS. STEMLAND: How often were you around Mr. Depp at this time, in April of 2016?
BRUCE WITKIN: Probably a bit, depending on if we were ,11 rehearsing or recording. My dates are a little squirrely, but, yeah, probably a bit.
MS. STEMLAND: Do you have any memories, at this time, of Mr. Depp getting high or drunk?
BRUCE WITKIN: I mean, drinking while we were working, yeah. Smoking weed, yeah.
MS. STEMLAND: I think your prior testimony is that you've not observed arguments between Mr. Depp and Amber; is that correct? Or is that wrong?
BRUCE WITKIN: I've never seen them physically abuse each other, no.
MS. STEMLAND: And did you say this was at 3 in the I morning, when he called?
BRUCE WITKIN: It was late. I can't remember exactly when it was. It was later than I imagined that I would get a call. So I thought it was, you know, something bad, so, yeah, I went down.
MS. STEMLAND: So Stephen called around 3 in the morning, and then you went down, and your understanding -- you went down after that call?
BRUCE WITKIN: Yeah.
MS. STEMLAND: What was your understanding of the reason you were called?
BRUCE WITKIN: Yeah. There was just crazy arguing and stuff going on down there. And for some reason, he thought I could help.
MS. STEMLAND: What was crazy about it?
BRUCE WITKIN: I mean, I think - what was crazy to me is that's the first time that ever happened, you know, first time Stephen ever called me for help like that. You know, usually, it's just to come and record or go do this or go do that. But for some reason, he wanted me to come.
MS. STEMLAND: And when Stephen called you, did he make any references to anything being thrown around?
BRUCE WITKIN: That, I don't remember, you know. It was almost like shit's going crazy down here, can you come?
MS. STEMLAND: Did he say that he wanted you to come urgently?
BRUCE WITKIN: Yes.
MS. STEMLAND: How long did it take you to get there?
BRUCE WITKIN: From my house to downtown, at 3 in the morning, maybe 20 minutes.
MS. STEMLAND: Did you ever talk to Amber when you went over that morning?
BRUCE WITKIN: Not really. It was just a lot of walking around and people going in and out of the bedroom. I don't remember if people were crying. I don't remember any of that stuff. It was just, like, a blur to me.
BRUCE WITKIN: You know, I don't remember talking - if I talked to her. I'm sure I probably said everything's going to be all right Like, I - by the time I got there, you could tell there was a ___ vibe in the house, but there's nothing I could witness.
MS. STEMLAND: What was the vibe in the house?
BRUCE WITKIN: Just people, you know, a little bit of an edge, you know. Look, I got called down there at 3 in the morning, and there's the mom up. I mean, obviously -- to me, something went down, but I didn't see anything.
MS. STEMLAND: And if we could pull up O Exhibit 13, please.
MS. STEMLAND: And do you recognize the person in this picture?
BRUCE WITKIN: Yep.
MS. STEMLAND: Who is it?
BRUCE WITKIN: Amber Heard.
MS. STEMLAND: This picture is ALH, in case you can't see the Bates number, 7101. It's dated March 23rd, 2013.
MS. STEMLAND: Mr. Witkin, you mentioned previously that you had seen bruises on Amber's upper ann.
BRUCE WITKIN: Yeah, one time, yes.
MS. STEMLAND: Does this look like the bruise you saw I on Amber's upper ann?
MS. STEMLAND: Mr. Witkin, what did the bruise that I 3 you saw on Amber look like?
BRUCE WITKIN: It looked similar to that, but it didn't look like a -- it looked like a grab, not a punch, like somebody grabbed her arm.
MS. STEMLAND: Do you remember what year or time frame j s that bruise that you saw was?
BRUCE WITKIN: I'd have to go through the dates. We were working on a Keith Richards documentary and Johnny and her showed up to the studio and I just had noticed it on her arm. I don't know if it's the same date or not.
MS. STEMLAND: Did the bruise look like this bruise?
BRUCE WITKIN: It's in the same vicinity. I don't know if that's the one.
MS. STEMLAND: Can you tell me more specifics about s that bruise? What did it look like?
BRUCE WITKIN: Like I said, it just looked like she was grabbed, that's all. That's what it seemed to me, finger -- finger marks.
MS. STEMLAND: Did you ever talked to Amber about that I bruise?
BRUCE WITKIN: No.
MS. STEMLAND: And when did you see Mr. Depp with a fat lip?
BRUCE WITKIN: I'm thinking it's sometime in either 2015 or '16, during rehearsal.
MS. STEMLAND: Can you be more precise? What month? s Do you think it could have been in the spring of ,9 2015?
BRUCE WITKIN: Yeah, I don't remember. I mean, we toured spring to summer, so, yeah, maybe it was spring of '15, '16. I think it was '16, I think. But we do - we did do other rehearsals for other spot gigs, so I could be off by a year.
MS. STEMLAND: If we could bring up Exhibit 15, please.
MS. STEMLAND: If you look at the first text, Mr. Witkin, it's from Mr. Depp. It says "I'm good. Just got a fucked finger."
BRUCE WITKIN: Right.
MS. STEMLAND: And the second text?
BRUCE WITKIN: That's from Deuters, yeah.
MS. STEMLAND: Do you remember what he would have been concerned about?
BRUCE WITKIN: Just the fact that somehow his finger got cut off. He's got doctors around him that are supposed to be making him sober and everything is supposed to be better, and it wasn't.
MS. STEMLAND: Did Mr. Depp ever talk to you about that, about sobering up?
BRUCE WITKIN: Little bit. He just said, you know, O hey, it wasn't his cup of tea. He didn't believe in the higher power.
MS. STEMLAND: He didn't believe sobering up was his cup of tea?
BRUCE WITKIN: He just didn't believe in a higher power. If he was going to do it, he was going to do it his own way.
MS. STEMLAND: Do you remember any specific incidents of Amber -- anger with Amber?
BRUCE WITKIN: I mean, he would talk about frustrations or whatever and we would try and talk through it. But it wasn't as much anger as it was much like confusion and sadness and why is this much like confusion and sadness and why is this not working, you know. But, no, he would never - very rarely would it be a specific reason why.
MS. STEMLAND: And did you notice any increase or decrease in Mr. Depp's anger when he was drinking or on drugs?
BRUCE WITKIN: I didn't notice much of a difference, you know.
MS. STEMLAND: Did you ever see Mr. Depp doing drugs with other bandmates?
BRUCE WITKIN: Yes.
MS. STEMLAND: Did you ever see Mr. Depp doing drugs with Joe Perry?
BRUCE WITKIN: Yes.
MS. STEMLAND: And what types of drugs did you see them do?
BRUCE WITKIN: They were doing cocaine.
MS. STEMLAND: And how do you know they were doing cocaine?
BRUCE WITKIN: Because I was in the room.
MS. STEMLAND: And around what time was that?
BRUCE WITKIN: It was pretty late.
MS. STEMLAND: What year?
BRUCE WITKIN: Had to be 2016 because that's when we ,2 were on the road.
MS. STEMLAND: Have you ever seen Mr. Depp do cocaine before 2016?
BRUCE WITKIN: Yes.
MS. STEMLAND: And when was that?
BRUCE WITKIN: Probably 2014 was the first time I saw him do it, because I was quite surprised because when we were kids, he hated that stuff. But then, after that, when I kind of said, why are you doing this? He kind of hid it from me for a long time until, I believe, in 2016.
MS. STEMLAND: And do you have any recollection of 14 steps Mr. Depp took, in December of 2015, to try to assist in decreasing spending?
BRUCE WITKIN: I don't know all the details about it. It was obviously another lawsuit with that whole thing. But I do know, leading up to that time, he needed to slow down on spending. I heard about that.
MS. STEMLAND: Did Mr. Depp tell you about that?
BRUCE WITKIN: Yeah.
BRUCE WITKIN: Yeah.
MS. STEMLAND: What did he say?
BRUCE WITKIN: Just something about the business manager and, you know, and spending too much. And I need to slow down or do more movies or whatever.
MS. STEMLAND: Have you been involved in Mr. Depp's --
MS. STEMLAND: Any of Mr. Depp's prior lawsuits?
BRUCE WITKIN: Yes, I have. I was part of the first one against the management group. And then I was deposed in the lawsuit with his lawyer, Jake Bloom.
MS. STEMLAND: Did you testify -- do you remember testifying about drug and alcohol use in that, by Mr. Depp, in that deposition?
BRUCE WITKIN: Yes.
MS. STEMLAND: And what was that about?
BRUCE WITKIN: I was at Johnny's house, things were going good, we were hanging out talking, and I guess Waldman came in and Johnny introduced me. I just remember Waldman saying, hey, nice to meet you. And Johnny told Waldman that I was part of Unison Music, which was named in the lawsuit, and if they needed any paperwork for it from me, I had all that paperwork and tax returns. And Waldman turned right at me, looked me in the eye, and just said, do you got any shit on the Mandels? And I said no. No. That's the last time I saw him
MS. STEMLAND: And you also testified in the Bloom case; is that right?
BRUCE WITKIN: Yeah.
MS. STEMLAND: Did you testify to Mr. Depp's drug and IO alcohol use in that testimony?
BRUCE WITKIN: I believe I did.
MS. STEMLAND: How did Mr. Depp respond to your testimony?
BRUCE WITKIN: Not happy.
MS. STEMLAND: Not happy.
MS. STEMLAND: And what's your relationship with Mr. Depp now? What happened in the last four years?
BRUCE WITKIN: Honestly, I don't know. Somehow I started to feel a distance, end of 2017. We had a gig and I saw him, but he was really kind of distant and kind of fucked up. And, like, he , wrote me this weird text saying that I stabbed him in the back and badmouthed him I was like, what are you talking about? And he wouldn't explain it. And pretty much, I haven't seen him since 2018. Didn't even get to have the whole girl argument. Just cut off. Can't get through to him No return text, no nothing. No email. My daughter even got married and he ignored it. So I think there's some people behind the scenes talking shit about me because everybody always tried to position themselves oh, who's the best friend and who's this, that, when I was just there to be his friend.
BRUCE WITKIN: And I think there were some lies and bullshit said about me that he actually believed, which is surprising. I've yet to have the conversation with him and go, what are you talking about? I know that he wasn't happy about my testimony, but I wasn't going to lie.
MS. STEMLAND: And did you ever try and help Mr. Depp?
BRUCE WITKIN: Oh, yeah, I tried.
MS. STEMLAND: Did you ever try and help him with substance abuse?
BRUCE WITKIN: I mean, I got him with a therapist, but I never tried an intervention or nothing like that, no. We would just talk about it. And he would say, I'll be all right, I'll be all right. And I would say, well, you're not all right. And then shit would just move on to the next conversation.
MS. STEMLAND: Did you observe anyone else trying to Is help Mr. Depp with substance abuse?
BRUCE WITKIN: I mean, I know that Christi, his sister, was always concerned with his well-being, whether it was substance abuse or not. I mean, everybody, I think, deep down inside was, but like I said, the people on payroll won't really say much. They'll try, but, you know, they don't want to lose their job. And I'm not saying they all fall into that category, you know, but, it was a strange thing around people like him Everybody wants something.
MS. STEMLAND: And I think today you testified to seeing a bruise. But is it fair to say that you have no knowledge, one way or another, of violence?
BRUCE WITKIN: Not personal knowledge, no.
MS. STEMLAND: You mentioned before that Mr. Depp has pushed you away in the last four years; is that right?
BRUCE WITKIN: Yes.
MS. STEMLAND: Has Mr. Depp ever admitted being violent to you?
BRUCE WITKIN: No.
MS. STEMLAND: With anyone?
BRUCE WITKIN: No.