Johnny Depp’s friend and former band member “Bruce Witkin” opens up on actor’s substance abuse
3 min read
Bruce Witkin, Johnny Depp’s former long-time friend and bandmate, was the first witness to testify in the former’s defamation trial against Amber Heard on Thursday. Witkin addressed the actor’s drug misuse and the treatment he received from Dr. David Kipper and his nurses.
On Thursday, Bruce Witkin testified that Johnny Depp had a “jealous streak” and once envied Nicolas Cage.
Depp, who he knows for more than forty years, is Witkin’s “best friend” and “brother” until the two had a falling out over an unrelated legal matter four years ago.
During Witkin’s deposition, played for the jury in Fairfax County Circuit Court in Virginia, on Feb. 17, 2022, he said that Depp could have a jealous streak.
Who is Bruce Witkin? How did Bruce Witkin and Johnny Depp meet?
Bruce Witkin is a well-known record producer and musician who has collaborated with a number of well-known musicians, including Paul McCartney, Marilyn Manson, Cher, Whitney Houston, and others. Witkin’s career as a musician began in the 1970s, when he formed The Kids with Johnny Depp. They began their musical career in Florida in 1978 before relocating to Los Angeles. Later, Witkin and Depp were both members of the Hollywood Vampires, a new rock band created in 2012 by Alice Cooper, Johnny Depp, and Joe Perry.
Bruce Witkin is currently connected with Unison Music, his own record company that he launched in 2007. Many of Johnny Depp’s films, notably Once Upon a Time in Mexico (2003), The Rum Diary (2011), Into the Woods (2014), and Mortdecai (2015), have used the musician’s songs (2015). Witkin has worked on these projects in a variety of capacities, including as Depp’s vocal coach and composer.
NEXT WEEK: #HollywoodVampire’s Bruce Witkin talks working with #PaulMcCartney, plus four decades of rockin' with best friend #JohnnyDepp 👊🏼 pic.twitter.com/ueLQyhl44n
— After Hours Podcast (@afterhours_pod) March 10, 2017
“Grab not a punch”
Bruce Wiktin was questioned about Heard’s upper arm injuries. He said it happened “one time” and that the injuries appeared to be the result of a “grab, not a punch.”
Although Witkin mentioned that he would have to check through the dates, he recalls working on the Keith Richards documentary when Depp and Heard arrived at the studio. Witkin believes he spotted the bruising on Heard’s arm at this point.
Witkin stated throughout his evidence that he had seen Depp with a big lip.
How did Bruce Witkin assess Johnny Depp in his testimony?
In his February testimony, Witkin recalled an event in which he was summoned to Depp’s home by the actor’s friend and collaborator, Stephen Reuters. Witkin said that there was a lot of weird arguing and stuff going on during the occasion.
“ What’s crazy to me is that’s the first time that’s ever happened … For some reason he wanted me to come.”
Witkin: I've never seen them physically abuse each other, no. #JohnnyDeppVsAmberHeard @LawCrimeNetwork pic.twitter.com/jk2KS0mqEV
— Sierra Gillespie (@sierragillespie) May 19, 2022
According to Witkin, Depp was jealous of fellow actor Cage when he was a young actor. According to Witkin, Depp also exhibited jealous behavior during his relationship with Vanessa Paradis – the mother of his two children, Lily-Rose and Jack – but the behavior was mostly in his head.
Witkin also testified that he saw Depp consume cocaine for the first time in 2014 during his testimony. According to the record producer, Depp had always avoided that particular narcotic since infancy. He claimed that the 58-year-old actor had tried several times to get sober but “didn’t believe in a higher power.” Witkin later referred to Dr. David Kipper’s treatment as a “scam.”
Ankita Khanrah
Ankita Khanrah is a second-year student of the Master of Communication and Journalism (Integrated) programme at the School of Mass Communication, KIIT Deemed University, Bhubaneswar.
