Tracey Jacobs — Direct/Cross/Redirect
189 linesTHE COURT: All right. Yes, ma'am, I your next witness.
MS. BREDEHOFT: Next witness, Your Honor, we'd like to call Tracey Jacobs. She's also by deposition designation and it begins with me.
THE COURT: I'm sorry. One more time.
MS. BREDEHOFT: We would like to call Tracey Jacobs. She's also by deposition designation, and it begins with me asking the questions.
THE COURT: All right. Thank you. TRACEY JACOBS, being first duly sworn, was examined and testified as follows:
MS. BREDEHOFT: Please state your name and address for the record.
TRACEY JACOBS: Tracey Renee Jacobs, Los Angeles, California.
MS. BREDEHOFT: And what is your current occupation?
TRACEY JACOBS: Talent agent.
MS. BREDEHOFT: And how long have you been a talent agent?
TRACEY JACOBS: Years.
MS. BREDEHOFT: Ms. Jacobs, when did you first begin representing Mr. Depp?
TRACEY JACOBS: When I was at another agency at ICM. I think it- I represented him 30 years, so now, since he's been gone almost five years, you can subtract 35 years. And then when I came to UTA, I believe it was 1998, he came with me. And I've been at UTA for, well, now it's been 22 years, minus the last four. He was with me from the beginning.
MS. BREDEHOFT: During the time that you represented Mr. Depp as his talent agent, please describe the types of jobs and responsibilities you performed for him.
TRACEY JACOBS: I was his agent, so my job, as all agents' are, was to find, procure, and negotiate jobs for him, acting jobs for him, initially.
MS. BREDEHOFT: Well, I'm assuming if you were his talent agent, that you would know what his -- how his career was tracking over that 30 years you were with him; would you not?
TRACEY JACOBS: He became the biggest star in the world.
MS. BREDEHOFT: And do you take any credit for that?
TRACEY JACOBS: Yes.
MS. BREDEHOFT: And why? What do you think your contributions were to Mr. Depp becoming the biggest star in the world?
TRACEY JACOBS: Well, A, that he was extraordinarily talented, and, B, that my talent was compatible I! with him in terms of understanding the kind of roles and scripts and filmmakers that would make sense for him to work with, and being able to master the two and put them together.
MS. BREDEHOFT: What is your understanding of the reason why Mr. Depp terminated you?
TRACEY JACOBS: I really don't know. All I know is he Is terminated, essentially, everyone in his life. So I was along for the ride, I guess.
MS. BREDEHOFT: Line 20, you said -- I'm directing your ! attention to line 20 of Mr. Depp's deposition on November 2020. "And why did you leave Tracey Jacobs in October 2016?"
MS. BREDEHOFT: Go down.
MS. BREDEHOFT: And Mr. Depp's answer was "Ms. Jacobs, in the same attempt to corral the fervor and the injustice that was practiced upon me by Mr. Mandel and Mr. Bloom, at a certain point, Tracey Jacobs began to sort of become revealed as -- I won't say co-conspirator necessarily, but she was part of that little group, and it seemed to be in my best interest to walk away from that relationship because her interests were quite different than when they started -- when we started. See, I believe she even stated that the reason she kept me for so long was the 'was the money.' She stated, otherwise, she said I was not an easy client to represent, or something to that extent. And, so, yes, I had to leave the agency.
MS. BREDEHOFT: Would you agree with Mr. Depp's characterization or your representation of him?
TRACEY JACOBS: Oh, I understand it. This is the first time I'm hearing or seeing this in five years. No is the answer.
MS. BREDEHOFT: And why do you not agree with this? its
TRACEY JACOBS: Because it's all untrue.
MS. BREDEHOFT: And then I asked him, after asking if he sued you, and he said no. He did sue Mr. Mandel and Jake Bloom, so I thought it was prudent to ask. Then I asked him "Did Tracey Jacobs say why she did not consider you to be an easy client to represent?" "She certainly never -- she never expressed any of those things to me. These are things she was able -- I guess she came to the realization that I was not easy to represent after I fired her. Ms. Jacobs, there was conflicts of interest all over the place. She had been represented by Joel Mandel, and she was also, to some degree, represented by Jake Bloom So, therefore, there was an obvious great, huge conflict of interest, which I lived with for a little while, and thought, no, no, this is not -- not a good idea.
MS. BREDEHOFT: Now, my question to you is, do you agree with Mr. Depp's characterization that you only expressed that he was a difficult client to work for after he fired you?
TRACEY JACOBS: Absolutely not.
MS. BREDEHOFT: Do you agree that you had conflicts of interest all over the place in representing Mr. Depp, as he says here?
MS. BREDEHOFT: Do you agree that you had been represented by Joel Mandel?
TRACEY JACOBS: No. Never.
MS. BREDEHOFT: Was Mr. Depp a difficult client to represent.
TRACEY JACOBS: He wasn't initially. And it became far more complicated in the last ten years of my representing him.
MS. BREDEHOFT: And how did it become far more complicated in the last ten years you represented him?
TRACEY JACOBS: His unprofessional behavior.
MS. BREDEHOFT: Anything else?
TRACEY JACOBS: I think that covers a multitude of things.
MS. BREDEHOFT: And that's going to be my next question. What do you mean by Mr. Depp's unprofessional behavior, in the last ten years that you represented him?
TRACEY JACOBS: Showing up late to set, consistently, on, virtually, every movie. I would get yelled at. I never said to him "you're a difficult client," I never used those words, but I was very honest with him and said you've got to stop doing this. This is hurting you. And it did. And -- yeah.
MS. BREDEHOFT: Even with your speaking to Mr. Depp ,4 about him consistently showing up late for set, did he correct that behavior during that last ten years?
TRACEY JACOBS: No.
MS. BREDEHOFT: And what types of difficulties did that cause for Mr. Depp?
TRACEY JACOBS: Well, initially, crews loved him because he was always so great with the crew. But crews don't love sitting around for hours and hours and hours waiting for the star of the movie to show up. And it also got around town, I mean, people talk, it's a small community, and it made people reluctant to use him toward the end.
MS. BREDEHOFT: And when you say "toward the end," was I s that toward the end of your representation of i Mr. Depp?
TRACEY JACOBS: Yes. b 1
MS. BREDEHOFT: Do you recall difficulties that Mr. Depp had during Pirates 5?
TRACEY JACOBS: Yes.
MS. BREDEHOFT: Did you have just one conversation with Sean Bailey or did you have more than one I conversation with Sean Bailey about Mr. Depp and Pirates 5?
TRACEY JACOBS: More than one, I'm sure. I don't recall.s
MS. BREDEHOFT: Okay. Do you have a recollection of the production of Pirates 5 having to suspend for several weeks while Mr. Depp had surgery on his finger?
TRACEY JACOBS: Yes.
MS. BREDEHOFT: Did you go to Australia at any point during the filming of Pirates 5?
TRACEY JACOBS: Twice.
MS. BREDEHOFT: Yes. Was there something that caused you to determine that that was the time you should get on the plane and fly to Australia?
TRACEY JACOBS: Yes.
MS. BREDEHOFT: What do you recall that being?
TRACEY JACOBS: The complaints about what I stated earlier about the lateness, not showing up, to talk to him about it.
MS. BREDEHOFT: When you were talking earlier about there being a change in Mr. Depp's behavior over the last ten years of your representation and him becoming more unprofessional. Was part of the unprofessional behavior his increased use of alcohol and drugs?
TRACEY JACOBS: Yes.
MS. BREDEHOFT: Was part of the unprofessional behavior, that you witnessed increasing over the last ten years of your representation of Mr. Depp, his increasing anger and tendency towards violence?
TRACEY JACOBS: No.
MS. BREDEHOFT: Do you know who referred Dr. Kipper to Mr. Depp?
TRACEY JACOBS: I did.
MS. BREDEHOFT: And why did you refer Dr. Kipper to Mr. Depp?
TRACEY JACOBS: He has had a lot of experience with high-profile people and really helping them seriously get and stay sober.
MS. BREDEHOFT: And did you observe, in your dealings with Mr. Depp, as his representative, that he romanticized the entire drug culture?
TRACEY JACOBS: Yes.
MS. BREDEHOFT: I'm asking for your observations, based on your dealings with Mr. Depp, was it your observation that Mr. Depp had fundamental issues with anger?
TRACEY JACOBS: Yes.
MS. BREDEHOFT: And in your observation of Mr. Depp having fundamental issues with anger, did that worsen over the time of your representation or was it relatively the same?
TRACEY JACOBS: Yes, it worsened over time.
MS. BREDEHOFT: Did you observe Mr. Depp lacking J 6 patience when he didn't get his needs met?
TRACEY JACOBS: Yes. But - yes.
MS. BREDEHOFT: Do you recall a time, while you were representing Mr. Depp, that he started having earpieces so people could feed him his lines during filming?
TRACEY JACOBS: Yes.
MS. BREDEHOFT: Do you recall that that became a regular thing for Mr. Depp, that he needed to use earpieces for lines when he was doing films?
TRACEY JACOBS: Yes.
MS. BREDEHOFT: Do you have a recollection of issues associated with London Fields? ,7
TRACEY JACOBS: Yes.
MS. BREDEHOFT: I'm going to ask you to take a look at Deposition Exhibit Number 8, Ms. Jacobs. I'm going to take you to the second page first so you can just read the frame. And there's really just a part there. And then here's where I'm going to direct your attention. This is from Mr. Depp to you, on Saturday, August 29, 2015.
MS. BREDEHOFT: Do you see that?
TRACEY JACOBS: Yes.
MS. BREDEHOFT: And Mr. Depp -- when Mr. Depp would write to you in emails, would he regularly have parts with all capitals and exclamation marks?
TRACEY JACOBS: Yes.
MS. BREDEHOFT: Harley's, he says "fucking Harley's."
MS. BREDEHOFT: What is he talking about?
TRACEY JACOBS: I think he's referring to -- I don't know. I think he might be referring to the daughter of the director friend of his, but I'm not sure.
MS. BREDEHOFT: So do you have an understanding of what he's talking about with the Matthew Cullen version?
TRACEY JACOBS: Matthew Cullen was the director. I don't know about nudity, although, clearly, that was the case, according to his understanding, and I guess he was trying to get me to kill it.
MS. BREDEHOFT: Okay. And then you responded to him "I'm already on it with lawyers and Marty Stinger. Have spoken to Matthew Cullen twice this AM. He also wants it stopped. We are doing everything to shut this down."
MS. BREDEHOFT: Was there another version --
TRACEY JACOBS: Oh, I'm sorry. I have to correct myself. He made a typo here, which is why -- Harley, he means Hanley. They were the producers.
MS. BREDEHOFT: And as you sit here today, can you recall anyone at Disney committing, in any way, I that Johnny Depp would be in Pirates 6?
TRACEY JACOBS: No.
MS. BREDEHOFT: You testified, at the beginning of this deposition, that while you represented Mr. Depp, he was, I think, the biggest star in the world.
MS. BREDEHOFT: Do you recall that testimony?
TRACEY JACOBS: Yes.
MS. BREDEHOFT: And what would you say the reputation of Johnny Depp is today?
TRACEY JACOBS: His lawsuits don't help.
MS. BREDEHOFT: What do you mean by that?
TRACEY JACOBS: I mean, it's endless. But I don't know because I'm not out there selling him anymore.
MS. BREDEHOFT: Have you ever seen Mr. Depp engage in angry behavior?
TRACEY JACOBS: Yes.
MS. BREDEHOFT: Now, are you aware that Mr. Depp filed a lawsuit in the United Kingdom against The Sun newspaper and Dan Wootton, the editor, because they called him a wife beater?
TRACEY JACOBS: Yes.
TRACEY JACOBS: No.
TRACEY JACOBS: No.
MR. CHEW: Other than Amber Heard, do you know of any other woman who ever accused Mr. Depp of physical abuse?
TRACEY JACOBS: No.
TRACEY JACOBS: No.
MR. CHEW: Ms. Jacobs, you testified, and please correct me if I'm wrong, that in the last ten years of your representation of Mr. Depp, there was a more unprofessional behavior by Mr. Depp; is that correct?
TRACEY JACOBS: Yes.
MR. CHEW: During that period of time, the last ten years you represented him, was he ever fired from a movie?
TRACEY JACOBS: No.
TRACEY JACOBS: I don't recall this exact document, but I know there were conversations going on.
MR. CHEW: What were you referring to when you said, at the top of this document, Depp Exhibit 5, 'this is good news'?
TRACEY JACOBS: That we were able to help him out when he was in financial desperation.
TRACEY JACOBS: Johnny Depp.
TRACEY JACOBS: That we were able to secure a loan for him through Bank of America when Ed White couldn't get him any money, and it was very helpful to him.
TRACEY JACOBS: $5 million for four consecutive weeks, plus a great back end, which he has received significant money on subsequently.
TRACEY JACOBS: Yeah, he got paid 25 million with a back end.
MS. BREDEHOFT: Would it be fair to say that you cannot say, one way or the other, whether Mr. Depp has I ! 15 hit, punched, kicked, headbutted, or choked Amber Heard?
TRACEY JACOBS: Yes.
MS. BREDEHOFT: Can you say, one way or the other, whether Mr. Depp has ever hit, punched, kicked, headbutted or choked anyone else?
TRACEY JACOBS: Yes.
MS. BREDEHOFT: Can you say, one way or the other, do I you know?
TRACEY JACOBS: No.
MS. BREDEHOFT: Would it be fair to say that you were continuing to bring this good, solid work for Mr. Depp right up to the time Mr. Depp terminated you?
TRACEY JACOBS: Correct. Yes.
MS. BREDEHOFT: Earlier, you said that Mr. Depp's reputation, that he became the greatest actor in the world, right?
TRACEY JACOBS: That's not what I said, but I said he became the biggest movie star in the world.
MS. BREDEHOFT: Movie star. Forgive me.
MS. BREDEHOFT: So as of the time that you were terminated by Mr. Depp in October 2016, did you still believe that Mr. Depp was the greatest movie star in the world?
TRACEY JACOBS: No.
MS. BREDEHOFT: Why not?
TRACEY JACOBS: Because his star had dimmed due to it getting harder to get him jobs, given the reputation that he had acquired due to his lateness and other things.
MS. BREDEHOFT: And what were the other things?
TRACEY JACOBS: Just, you know, people were talking and the question was out there about his behavior.
MS. BREDEHOFT: And that behavior included?
TRACEY JACOBS: I think I've described it several times.
MS. BREDEHOFT: Would that behavior include alcohol and drug use?
TRACEY JACOBS: Yes.
MS. BREDEHOFT: Mr. Chew asked you about City of Lies. And you indicated that you didn't believe it was released.
MS. BREDEHOFT: Are you aware of that Mr. Depp was accused of punching a local manager in the face during the filming of City of Lies?
TRACEY JACOBS: I read that. I don't know.
MS. BREDEHOFT: Do you have any understanding of why Mr. Depp needed that loan in January of 2016?
TRACEY JACOBS: Yes. He had said - he had come in and met with us and he had asked for $20 million.
MS. BREDEHOFT: Did Mr. Depp tell you, when he met with I you, why he needed the $20 million?
TRACEY JACOBS: Not specifically, other than he just ,3 needed the money.
MS. BREDEHOFT: Was there any general discussion as to why he needed $20 million in January of 2016?
TRACEY JACOBS: Not as to why, he just expected us to do it.
MS. BREDEHOFT: So you -- so Mr. Depp came in and said I want you to get $20 million for me?
TRACEY JACOBS: Actually, it was I want you to give me $20 million. It was not discussed - the question was not asked as a loan.
MS. BREDEHOFT: And what did you say in response?
TRACEY JACOBS: I didn't. Jeremy Zimmer and Jim Berkus spoke directly to that point. I was just in the meeting.
MS. BREDEHOFT: And in the meeting, do you recall what Jeremy and Jim said to Mr. Depp when he asked them for $20 million?
TRACEY JACOBS: Yes. They said we're not in a position to give our clients that kind of money. We're not a bank.
MS. BREDEHOFT: Did Mr. Depp explain why he thought that you should just give him $20 million, as opposed to loan?
TRACEY JACOBS: Yes. That he made a lot of money for us and that we should just do it because of how much money he had made over the duration of him being at UTA
MS. BREDEHOFT: Have you ever had any other client who's ever made that kind of a demand?
TRACEY JACOBS: No.
MS. BREDEHOFT: And do you believe the Rolling Stone's interview, the article, damaged Mr. Depp's reputation?
TRACEY JACOBS: Yeah.
MS. BREDEHOFT: Are you aware of any significant role that Mr. Depp has started since you were terminated that you did not negotiate and get for him?
TRACEY JACOBS: No.
MS. BREDEHOFT: Did Mr. Depp get Invisible Man?
TRACEY JACOBS: They didn't make it. They made a much lower budget with a woman, as it turns out, for Universal with Blumhouse.
MS. BREDEHOFT: You were asked about whether there were any option contracts with Pirates 6. I just want to make sure I understand your answer.
MS. BREDEHOFT: Did you -- were you involved in any kind of negotiation with Disney for any kind of option contract for Pirates 6 with Mr. Depp?
TRACEY JACOBS: Not that I can recall, no.