Johnny Depp sued for allegedly punching crew member on set

LOS ANGELES: ‘ Pirate of the Caribbean' star Johnny Depp ( pictured) has been sued for allegedly punching a member of the crew on a movie set.

According to the lawsuit, Depp screamed obscenities at the crew member and punched him twice in the ribs, then offered him US$ 100,000 to punch back.

The altercation occurred on the Los Angeles set of a movie about the killing of the Notorious B.I.G.,

The crew member was fired from the production when he refused to promise not to sue over the incident.

Location manager Greg “Rocky” Brooks is also suing the film's director and producers for unspecified damages in the lawsuit filed in Los Angeles County Superior Court.

In the movie, City of Lies, Depp, 55, portrays a Los Angeles police detective who for years investigated the still-unsolved 1997 death of the rapper Notorious B.I.G., also known as Biggie Smalls, whose real name is Christopher Wallace.

Brooks alleges that in April 2017, when the film was shooting under the title Labyrinth in and around the Barclay Hotel in downtown LA, he informed the director Brad Furman that an upcoming take featuring Depp would have to be the last outdoor shot of the night because of legal permits.

The lawsuit says Furman forced Brooks to go beyond his duties and tell Depp himself that shooting had to end. Brooks said he was seeking out the off- duty sheriff's deputy serving as set security when Depp found him first.

Brooks said Depp smelled of alcohol and appeared intoxicated as he shouted obscenities then “angrily and forcefully” punched Brooks twice in the rib cage.

Depp then yelled “I will give you one hundred thousand dollars to punch me in the face right now!” at Brooks when he showed little reaction, according to the lawsuit, before the actor 's bodyguards pulled him away.