Johnny Depp's Former Security Personnel Sue Actor for Unpaid Wages, Other Employment Violations
Johnny Depp is facing a new legal battle after two of his former bodyguards filed a complaint against the actor for several violations.
E! News revealed that the actor's former security staff Eugene Arreola and Miguel Sanchez filed a lawsuit against the "Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald" star due to multiple offenses. This includes unpaid wages, wrongful termination, overtime, as well as unlawful business practices.
According to the documents obtained by the publication, the bodyguards claimed that they were exposed by the actor to dangerous working conditions. They also mentioned that they were also tasked to serve as chauffeurs and babysitters for the actor, his kids, as well as his staff.
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The complainants also mentioned that they were forced to protect Depp from himself on multiple occasions because of his "vices."
"Often times Plantiffs were forced to protect Defendant Depp from himself and his vices while in public, becoming caretakers for him. An incident at a local nightclub involved Plantiffs alerting Depp of illegal substances visible on his face and person while preventing onlookers from seeing Depp's condition," the lawsuit documents stated.
Based on the court documents, the complainants had been hired by Premier Group International where Depp employed his security personnel. However, when Depp encountered a major financial trouble in 2016, they were hired by the actor directly to become part of his in-house security team. During that time, their problems with their employment started to arise.
Both former security guards mentioned that from May 2016 until January 2018, they never received any overtime pay. They were also deprived of off-duty meals as well as rest breaks while working for their 12-hour shifts.
The two also revealed that they were asked to drive vehicles that have illegal substances, minors, and open containers several times.
The complaint also mentioned that Sanchez, whose main work was to protect Depp's children, became the primary caretaker of the actor's minor child who lived at a separate home alone inside the actor's property. He was also instructed to follow all the demands of his kids if he had no plans to lose his job.
"As a result of the toxic and dangerous work environment and the constant labor code violations of their employers, Plaintiffs were forced to leave their employment despite the fact that they enjoyed many of the people they worked with and have no ill will toward Johnny Depp," the court documents also stated.
The complainants' lawyer Tamar Arminak also mentioned in an interview with Deadline the actor's business partner Edward White is included in the lawsuit. "As a result of White's control and mismanagement, Depp owes my clients for significant unpaid wages," the lawyer stated.
Aside from the lawsuit from his former bodyguards, the 54-year-old actor is also sued by Jacob Bloom and his former lawyers at the Bloom Hergott Diemer Rosenthal LaViolette Feldman Schenkman & Goodman LLP after he went after them with a malpractice lawsuit.
Depp and his reps have yet to respond to the lawsuit filed by his former security staff.
