Barny bites back
Joyce has last laugh over Depp dog claims
JOHNNY Depp and his exwife Amber Heard could have to front authorities in Australia yet again after the star’s manager made explosive allegations about them knowingly smuggling their dogs into Australia.
Mr Depp is being sued by his former management in the US and the accusations of him being “fully aware” of the dogs being brought in illegally were in court documents.
Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce used the allegations to again unleash on the Hollywood star.
“Obviously Mr Depp is back in the news for a number of things but the only thing that’s concerning me is ... if the allegations that have been made against him are correct,” Mr Joyce said.
Two years ago Mr Joyce went to war with Mr Depp and Ms Heard when they illegally brought their two terriers into the country without clearing border protection when they arrived via private jet.
The Agriculture Minister threatened to have the dogs killed and gave them 72 hours to “bugger off back to California” after their fugitive cover was blown by a Gold Coast dog groomer while Mr Depp was in Queensland filming Pirates of the Caribbean 5.
As the matter played out publicly, Mr Depp made fun of the Australian politician.
Referring to him as Barnaby Jones on Jimmy Kimmel Live in May 2016, Mr Depp told the late-night television audience Mr Joyce, “looks somehow inbred with a tomato.”
Mr Joyce, in Europe where he is aiming to map out Australia’s trade future with Britain and the European Union, had the last laugh at the American presenters who sided with Depp at the time.
“I think I got him right the first time and all the American commentators on late night television got it wrong,” he said. “Barny one, American commentators zero.”
If the allegations, made public at the weekend, are proven accurate, the Commonwealth Director of Public
Prosecutions in Australia could be interested in revisiting the matter.
Ms Heard last year pleaded guilty to falsifying documents in Southport Magistartes Court in Queensland. She copped a $1000 fine.
The couple then appeared in a bizarre pro-quarantine video lauding Australia’s biosecurity laws which gained millions of views online.
But according to the legal documents, obtained by People, TMG claim, “Depp falsely claimed to authorities and in public press interviews that the incident was a big misunderstanding because he supposedly believed his staff had obtained the necessary paperwork”.
I THINK I GOT HIM RIGHT THE FIRST TIME AND ALL THE AMERICAN COMMENTATORS ON LATE NIGHT TELEVISION GOT IT WRONG BARNABY JOYCE