SIDETRACK

B.I.G. LAWSUIT: A film crew member is alleging in a lawsuit that Johnny Depp twice punched him on the Los Angeles set of a movie about the killing of Notorious B.I.G. The lawsuit filed Friday in Los Angeles County Superior Court by location manager Gregg “Rocky” Brooks also claims he was fired from the movie, called “City of Lies,” when he refused to sign papers saying he wouldn't sue over the incident. Brooks alleges that in April 2017 the movie's director forced him to inform Depp that an upcoming shot would have to be the day's last. The lawsuit says Depp screamed obscenities at Brooks and punched him twice in the ribs, then offered him $100,000 to punch back. Messages left with Depp representatives seeking comment were not immediately returned.

FACING LIFE IN JAIL: Moving beyond rote denials, Harvey Weinstein is playing a leading role in shaping what his lawyer said yesterday will be an aggressive defense to sexual assault charges that could put him in prison for the rest of his life. Lawyer Ben Brafman said the movie mogul-turned#MeToo villain is essentially working as his paralegal and that they're stacking up “overwhelming evidence” from email traffic and witness accounts to refute allegations that, so far, have led to criminal charges involving three of the dozens of women who've accused Weinstein of wrongdoing. A judge released Weinstein on the same $1 million bail he posted at his first arraignment involving two other accusers and was allowed to return to his Westport, Conn., home. He's due back in court on Sept. 20.