James Franco Has Been Pulled Into Johnny Depp’s Lawsuit Against Amber Heard

Johnny Depp is still battling it out with his ex-wife Amber Heard in a $50 million defamation lawsuit. According to The Blast, it’s not ending any time soon, because Johnny’s team plans to subpoena James Franco.

Team Johnny’s hands have been grasping at anything that sounds like a plausible argument in court. The last we heard, they were trying to claim that Amber was an expert makeup artist who painted domestic abuse bruises on herself. Now they’re using security footage that they think proves James Franco knows something. The security camera caught Amber Heard entering the elevator of her and Johnny’s Los Angeles apartment building around 11pm on May 22, 2016, in what appears to be a sweater, a nightgown, and no shoes. She is seen going down to the area where guests park their cars. The security camera then shows Amber entering the elevator with James Franco. Both have their backs to the camera, but appear to be speaking to each other during the ride up to the floor of Amber and Johnny’s penthouse. The security footage was allegedly shot the day after Amber claims Johnny assaulted her in their home, May 21st, 2016.

Johnny’s lawyers want James to sit for a deposition, where they can ask him what Amber said, and if she showed evidence of any bruises. Johnny’s lawyers also want to speak to Elon Musk, who also reportedly saw Amber very shortly after the alleged incident on the 21st.

Amber’s lawyers have responded to this news by giving the legal equivalent to rolling ones eyes. They say it’s nothing because James lives in the building.

“This bogus story is just another lame attempt by Johnny Depp and his team to spread deliberately misleading information through the media so that he can continue to attack and abuse his ex-wife. Amber Heard and James Franco once lived in the same apartment complex and were simply taking an elevator at the same time. Period. It’s pathetic.”

Johnny’s lawyers, never ones to miss a chance to swat back at Amber, replied to their reply. And they implied that someone might want to check James’ address at the time, because it wasn’t the same as Amber’s.

“Surveillance footage and sworn witnesses place Mr. Musk and Mr. Franco separately sneaking into Johnny Depp’s penthouse in the nights after Amber Heard’s May 21 face beating claims. Ms. Heard’s team has now admitted Mr. Franco is the man cuddling with a nightgown-clad, perfect-faced Ms. Heard and hiding from the elevator surveillance camera at 11:00 pm on May 22, the day after her face beating hoax. Lies beget lies. Ms. Heard’s absurd pre-textual excuse for Mr. Franco’s presence in the elevator to Mr. Depp’s penthouse floor is that it was a chance encounter because James Franco ‘lived in the building.’ That is a lie. Mr. Franco didn’t and doesn’t live in the building. Nor does he live in the hallway of Mr. Depp’s private penthouse floor to which elevator 3 goes.”

There’s been no response from James Franco or his lawyers. The Blast points out that there’s also no word on whether he’ll fight the subpoena or show up for a deposition. If James refuses to give a deposition, that looks a little more than suspicious. But I also don’t see it working out well for anyone involved if he does show up and swear to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. Because it’s James Franco, a man who lives in his own little existential artistic world. You could ask him: “What did you say to Amber in that elevator?” and he’d probably answer:

“Your honor, it’s pretty obvious that I – Academy Award-nominated actor James Franco – was clearly deep in a state of method acting as a fictionalized version of myself, much like my role in This Is The End, for a future movie about myself in an elevator. Let it state for the record that security footage technically counts as a movie. Bro, can I leave now?”

Pic: Wenn.com