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Courier-Mail
2 hours ago
- Courier-Mail
Johnny Depp, Amber Heard: Grim new details of Gold Coast fight
Don't miss out on the headlines from Books. Followed categories will be added to My News. The tempestuous relationship of Johnny Depp and Amber Heard comes under the microscope in a new book by journalists who covered the A-list couple's courtroom battle. This extract from Hollywood Vampires dives into that infamous night of mayhem in Australia when everything came to a head. Johnny Depp and Amber Heard were still celebrating their nuptials when Johnny's freelance butler Ben King pulled into the palatial carport at Diamond Head, a colonial estate and riverfront mega mansion on Australia's Gold Coast. Soon the newlyweds would arrive at the estate. There was no time for a honeymoon after their February 2015 wedding; both Johnny and Amber were due back at work to start shooting their new films. Diamond Head's owner, Aussie motorcycling champion Mick Doohan, was away on tour. I spy trouble on the horizon … Johnny Depp as Captain Jack Sparrow with Orlando Bloom as Will Turner in the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise. Mick had previously rented his place to Brad Pitt, Angelina Jolie, and Pink. Now the mansion would be Johnny and Amber's home for several months while Johnny filmed the fifth instalment of the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise, Dead Men Tell No Tales. The film would be shot exclusively in Australia after the Australian government offered Disney $20 million in tax incentives. It was the largest international feature film shoot in the country's history and the newest instalment would be an emotional exploration of Jack Sparrow's backstory. At Diamond Head, Ben scoped out the movie theatre and gym then entered the primary suite. He was surrounded by stacks of suitcases containing everything Johnny and Amber would need for their home away from home. There was a box filled entirely with candles. Several more suitcases were filled with art supplies. Then he unpacked and hung Johnny's clothes, mostly an assortment of tattered, patched, and stained bohemian garb. Gold class … Mick Doohan's Diamond Head home, rented by Depp and Heard. 'Stained bohemian garb' … Amber Heard and Johnny Depp in March 2014. Nathan Holmes, Johnny's long-time assistant, had arrived earlier in the week. Between him and Ben, everything had been taken care of for Johnny and Amber's arrival. Nathan rented go-karts for the racetrack outside. He also found an art teacher for Amber because she wanted to take painting classes. The two men were soon joined by Chef Russell. Johnny arrived in Australia first and Amber a couple of weeks later. Immediately they began to fight. According to Johnny, Amber was 'irate' and 'possessed' over discussions of a postnuptial agreement following their failure to execute a prenup before the weddings. He said Amber believed he was trying to 'trick her' into receiving nothing from the postnup and complained that she wasn't even listed in his will. Without a pre- or postnup, per California law, Amber would automatically be entitled to 50 per cent of everything Johnny made during their marriage if they split. STREAM FREE ON TUBI: DEPP/HEARD DOCUMENTARIES On the evening of Friday, March 6, Johnny and Amber were snuggled under a blanket to watch TV when Chef Russell said goodbye for the weekend. He reminded the pair that he'd prepared meals for the weekend that only needed to be reheated. On Sunday, Malcolm Connolly, Johnny's bodyguard got a call from Jerry Judge, Johnny's head of security. 'Something's happened with the boss, man,' Jerry said. 'You need to extract him. Just extract him, take him out of there.' 'Something's happened with the boss' … a photo released by Johnny Depp's lawyers showing him in hospital with an injured finger. Picture: Schillings 'You f**k off with your guys' … Amber Heard during the acrimonious 2022 defamation case between the couple at Fairfax County Circuit Courthouse in Virginia. Malcolm and Johnny's driver raced to Diamond Head. When he walked in the door, Amber was wearing a cardigan and a shiny slip, and screaming at Johnny. Johnny screamed back at Amber, clutching one of his fingers. 'She cut my finger clean off …' Johnny said. 'She slapped me with a vodka bottle.' He leaned over to Malcolm showing him the injured appendage. The claims were later disputed in court. Malcolm looked at Johnny's finger and thought, 'This looks like a captain cigar, like what you see in the cartoons.' He said to Johnny, 'Let's move, get in the car.' He crossed over to Johnny and pushed him toward the door. Johnny and Amber continued to argue as Malcolm tried to pull Johnny away and into the car outside. 'Johnny, that's all you do. You f**k off. You f**k off with your guys. You're a fucking coward, you big man,' Amber screamed at him. Johnny kept running back up the stairs to continue the fight, begging Malcolm, 'Let me stay for a few more minutes.' Finally, Malcolm pulled him down the stairs and out of the house. He put him in the car and walked around to the other side to sit behind Johnny in the back seat. Trashed … inside the mansion after that night. Damage … another room in the prestige home. 'Johnny, LET'S GO!' Malcolm demanded. With Johnny in the back seat wailing, Malcolm and the driver raced back to Malcolm's apartment in Broadbeach. 'It's going to be all right, boss,' he reassured Johnny. The driver parked in the underground garage and Malcolm snuck Johnny inside through a back passageway. As Malcolm washed Johnny's bloody hand, he could see the bone sticking out of his finger. There was dirt and paint in the wound too. He sat Johnny down on his bed and phoned Nurse Debbie Lloyd who, along with Dr Kipper, a specialist in addiction care, had been engaged by Johnny's team the previous year. Both had flown out to Australia and were installed in apartments near the mansion to be on call. 'Get here fast,' he said. Johnny moaned behind him. Kipper and Debbie arrived at Malcolm's apartment, took one look at Johnny's hand, and drove him to the hospital. Inside the ER, Johnny, still wearing his sunglasses, laid on a stretcher, his bloody finger wrapped in a green napkin laid on top of a large fabric pad. Malcolm stood next to Johnny, fuming. 'I stood on top of a chair and I took pictures of him. I had enough.' 'Clear trail of blood leading from one bedroom to the next' … Ben King. 'Looks like a captain cigar' … Johnny Depp displays the middle finger of his hand during his defamation trial against Heard in Fairfax, Virginia, April 20, 2022. Malcolm wanted to document Johnny's injuries. 'Every time I see him, he's got marks or scratches. It really was dangerous, man, dangerous. I thought I could show up one morning and he'll be dead.' Back at the Diamond Head mansion, Dr Kipper and Nurse Debbie tried to locate Johnny's missing fingertip. There was still time to stitch it back on. At some point that morning, Amber's cell phone had been positioned on the first floor near the front entrance. Still actively recording audio, it captured Dr Kipper and Nurse Debbie's conversation. When questioned about it later, Amber explained that Johnny 'took her phone and pressed record' before security got there. The recording would eventually become a significant piece of evidence at trial. Amber would later assert that on that Sunday morning, she was fresh out of a 'three-day hostage situation,' in which Johnny inflicted grievous bodily harm on her, including rape with a glass liquor bottle. But on the recording, in the presence of her doctor and a nurse, Amber didn't mention any of the bloodied cuts and gashes covering her arms or her 'shredded' feet caused by several broken glass bottles. Amber Heard showing injuries said to have been sustained during a separate incident at the couple's Los Angeles penthouse. It was released by a London court during Depp's unsuccessful libel suit over a 2018 article that said he had physically abused his ex-wife. Johnny Depp seen with a bruised face in March 2015, in a picture released by Fairfax County Court. He won his US defamation case against Heard over claims of abuse, though the jury also ruled he had defamed her via statements made by his lawyer in the press. As the medical team tried to find Johnny's finger, Amber became fixated on returning to Johnny and being by his side, but Dr Kipper wouldn't hear it. Amber sobbed in the background – 'He needs me right now! Me!' - while Kipper and Debbie discussed what meds to give her to calm her down. Jerry Judge urged Amber to go back home to Los Angeles, but she remained reluctant. She believed the relationship would be over if she did. 'I can't leave, I can't leave. It'll be the end if I leave,' she said. While Amber was sequestered upstairs, Jerry Judge called Christi Dembrowski, Johnny's sister and business partner, filling her in on what had happened that morning. The audio recording captured his end of the conversation. 'There's been bottles thrown, and she – she admits to me she threw the first – she threw a bottle at him.' Amber would claim Johnny was out of his mind on drugs, having taken ten ecstasy pills at once, as well as cocaine and liquor. She said she'd watched him smash a wall phone into pieces and lose his fingertip that way, though no evidence was found of a smashed phone. Plans were made for Amber to fly back to Los Angeles early the next morning, March 9, 2015 and Ben King returned to Diamond Head to find the rental home wrecked. Ben said that when he walked through the aftermath, there was a clear trail of blood leading from one bedroom to the next, and in and out of several bathrooms. Inside one bedroom, the bed linens were covered in blood, and there was also a bloody iPad and a blood-smeared guitar. Wave of allegations … Amber Heard during her former husband's libel case. Finger-pointing … Depp outside the Royal Courts of Justice in London. Both Johnny and Amber later claimed to have been hiding from each other in various rooms of the house. Ben followed another trail of blood to the downstairs bar, which was set back from a pool table, lit with blue lighting. On the floor was a bloody paper towel sitting next to cans, bottles, and broken glass. Inside the towel was Johnny's fingertip. Ben went upstairs and placed the flesh inside a zip-lock bag and put the bag in a bowl of ice inside a plastic container. The fingertip was rushed to the hospital to give it to the doctors, but according to Ben, 'The fingertip didn't find its way back to his finger, because it was too late.' In the end Ben escorted Amber back to LA. On the ride to the airport, Amber talked on her phone to several people, one of them Johnny. She'd later testify that he called her from the hospital to ask if he had 'killed it,' meaning the relationship. As they taxied down the runway, Ben asked the question that had been burning into him. 'What happened to the house?' Landlord to the stars … Aussie motorcycle legend Mick Doohan. He said Amber turned to look at him. 'Have you ever been so angry with someone, you just lost it with them?' Meanwhile, Jerry Bruckheimer's production company, JBF Inc., needed a story to give the public explaining why production on Pirates 5 had come to a halt. Three days after the finger incident, a press release with their 'official' story was released: 'Pirate steers off course! Johnny Depp injured his hand GO-KARTING at motorbike champion's luxury estate – forcing the star to fly home.' Photos showed Johnny boarding his private jet, flashing a gold-toothed grin for the paparazzi. He held his injured hand like a sock puppet against his chest, his forearm and hand sheathed in black skull-and-crossbones fabric that was sloppily wrapped up with silver duct tape. Soon he'd be on an operating table in Los Angeles for a skin grafting, in which skin from another part of his hand would be used to cover the portion of his finger that had been severed. A pin would also be placed in the broken bone. After the operation, Johnny posed for a picture, flipping off the camera with a massive middle finger bandaged up in pink gauze patterned with little purple hearts. As for Disney, they lost US$350,000 for every day that the production was shut down. Deep dive into a troubled time … Hollywood Vampires. This is an edited extract fromHollywood Vampires: Johnny Depp, Amber Heard, and the Celebrity Exploitation Machineby Kelly Loudenberg and Makiko Wholey. It will be published in Australia by HarperCollins on August 12. Want to go further into the Depp/Heard story? Watch for free on Tubi: Documentary – Depp vs Heard: All the Line Docu-series – Surviving Amber Heard Dramatisation – Hot Take: The Depp/Heard Trial Originally published as 'Trail of blood': New book walks through horror night at Johnny Depp and Amber Heard's Aussie mansion
West Australian
4 hours ago
- West Australian
STM Loves: Angelwood Pies, Tigerlily returns, Sunset Daze and Il Locale's Pizza Club
West Aussie pizza brand Il Locale have introduced a new pricing system and it's a game-changer. Every day, full-size pizzas at each location are only $22. From Scarborough to Subiaco, Currumbine to Busselton, Kalamunda to Stirling, Il Locale is doing god's work and ensuring pizza is more affordable for all. Founder Mathieu Bourget says: 'No gimmicks. Just good pizza, fairly priced'. Perth-born Petal Ashmole Winstanley has poured her life story into her new memoir Get Up, Dress Up, Show Up — and what an adventure the former ballet dancer has had. From dancing around the world, to life with her three great loves that she would go on to lose in heartbreaking circumstances, the 78-year-old's story is one of resilience and strength. The book, described as 'sometimes shocking, always candid and frequently funny' is available through Amazon and Booktopia. This Melbourne-founded brand set out to create beauty products that capture the feeling of golden hour, and it's on the right track with it's newest addition: the Liquid Rays Blush. Formulated in Australia with kakadu plum, avocado oil and kiwi extract, its neutral pink tone was designed by brother-and-sister duo Alessia and Marco Angele to reflect the natural flush you get when you're 'sun-warmed, spontaneous or suitably charmed'. Priced at $37, the newest member of your make-up bag is available at . If you haven't yet been drawn down to the small but mighty digs of this Leederville pie shop, add it to your list immediately. It has a delicious and evolving menu of pies and sausage rolls with excellent pastry and even better filling options, from a classic steak to Irish lamb, bolognese, tofu and kimchi as well as new flavours added regularly. It's open from Wednesday to Sunday from 8am to 2pm. It's safe to say we've had our fair share of winter showers this season. But is there anything worse than getting caught in the rain with an umbrella that suddenly gives way? Be gone broken brollies, says New Zealand brand BLUNT. Their designs are tested with winds of up to 115km/h, so good news, there's little chance of that happening. Shop online at or in-store at Zhuzh Fremantle. From Oasis to StyleAid, 2025 has been a year of iconic comebacks. Australian brand Tigerlily is the latest to join the comeback club with a welcomed return to the swim and resortwear market. Creative director Simone Coates says they've honoured its legacy with lush prints and vibrant colours, while reinterpreting once-loved designs to fit the modern wardrobe. 'We're incredibly proud to reintroduce a brand that is so deeply woven into the identity of Australian summer,' says Prue Slocombe, general manager of Tigerlily. 'For so many women, Tigerlily isn't just a fashion label, it's a memory, a moment, a mood'. Shop at .
Man of Many
12 hours ago
- Man of Many
Man of Many's Staff Favourites—9 August, 2025
By Dean Blake - News Published: 9 Aug 2025 |Last Updated: 8 Aug 2025 Share Copy Link 0 Readtime: 5 min Every product is carefully selected by our editors and experts. If you buy from a link, we may earn a commission. Learn more. For more information on how we test products, click here. With another week behind us, and a weekend to enjoy (even though it's very wet here in Sydney again), it's about time for our weekly collection of Man of Many's favourite things! This week, we're showing off what could be the best horror movie of the year so far, as well as highlighting an upcoming explosive musical tour, some delicious wine, comfy pants, and some laid-back beats. Enjoy! Hickinbotham 'The Peake' Cabernet Shiraz | Image: Nick Hall/Man of Many Hickinbotham 'The Peake' Cabernet Shiraz Nick Hall – Editor-in-Chief When I first got into wine, I started with shiraz. I figured that if you were going to go red, you may as well go hard, leaning into the bold, flavour-rich notes of the iconic Australian drop. In the years that have passed, my preferences have wavered, and I often find myself dipping my toes into the world of pinot noir, but every so often, a drop comes along that changes all that. Just this week, we were lucky enough to sit down with Chris Carpenter, the man behind the classic Hickinbotham Clarendon Vineyard and 2024 Master Winemaker of the Year. In our discussion, Chris took me through the highs and lows of being an international winemaker and why Cabernet remains his favourite varietal. Best of all, he also shared a bottle of the 2022 Hickinbotham 'The Peake', the label's much-loved cabernet shiraz blend. It was, in a word, transcendent. Heavy with notes of blackberry, blueberry and dark chocolate, the bold red provided a remarkably long tannin structure, filling the mouth with an extended feeling of rich, robust intensity. As a firm pinot drinker, The Peake was the ultimate indulgence, so it's little wonder why it remains one of the nation's most revered releases. Favourite Article of the Week: OMEGA x Swatch's New 'Mission to Earthphase' Moonshine Gold Coming This Week Weapons (2025) | Image: IMDB Weapons Dean Blake – Entertainment Writer I was lucky enough to get a chance to check out the brand new horror thriller Weapons earlier this week, and while my interest was already pretty high, the movie somehow delivered on what I wanted and subverted my expectations. I'm not going to spoil anything here, but as with director Zach Creggar's previous flick, Barbarian, Weapons is a sometimes tense, sometimes funny ride through an absolutely horrific situation. Here, though, it's a whole town suffering. 17 kids, all from the same class, have gone missing in the middle of the night, and parents are pointing the finger at class teacher Ms. Grady. Things slowly spiral out of control as individuals throughout the town start getting sucked into the escalating mystery. Again, no spoilers here, but keep an eye out on Man of Many next week for our full review. If you've got any interest in seeing it, I'd honestly advise you to go to the theatre this weekend. Article of the Week: Razer Blade 16 Review: A $7,000 'Portable' Gaming Rig Video of the Week: Exactly why Ferrari's hand-painted fender shield costs $15,000 ONEFOUR | Image: City Recital Hall ONEFOUR's First Ever Sydney Show Aussie hip hop fans rejoice. ONEFOUR are finally getting to perform their debut headline show in Sydney for the first time ever. ONEFOUR have been unable to perform in Sydney for years due to sustained police pressure on venues over concerns about public safety and harmful lyrics effectively blocking their shows. There is an amazing Netflix documentary 'Against All Odds' that showcases their meteoric come up, the police resistance to them performing live, and the debates around freedom-of-expression that arise from that. They have turned streaming platforms on fire with 3.2 million monthly Spotify listeners and amassed over 155 million YouTube views across their videos. The band's current Australian Tour looks insane and the final stop is Sydney. It's going be a huge cultural moment in the Aussie rap game and god damn am I excited. ONEFOUR are being supported by another group I absolutely love called The 046 which just makes this a dream night for me. Long live Aus Rap & Hip Hop. Article of the Week: Male Birth Control Pill Passes Safety Trial in US Video of the Week: How many subscriptions do you pay for? Universal Works' Duke Pant | Image: Universal Works Universal Works Duke Pant Frank Arthur – Co-Founder The Duke Pant from Universal Works is so nice, I bought it twice. These versatile trousers sit at the top of my wardrobe rotation and have already clocked countless miles. With my first pair nearing retirement, I've just ordered a fresh set. Cut in a roomy, wide leg that tapers ever so slightly, they strike the perfect balance between relaxed and refined. The cotton twill keeps things casual, while a single front pleat lends a subtle touch of tailoring, making them easy to dress up or down. For comfort, durability and understated style in one neat package, the Duke Pant is my effortless favourite. Article of the Week: GT-Based Lexus LFR Rumoured to Take On Porsche GT3 RS With 900HP Twin-Turbo V8 Slo Jams with Coffee in the Morning and DJ JLiu Scott Purcell – Co-Founder Coming to you LLIVE from Canada are these silky smooth beats from DJ Jliu. I'm not sure if it's the tempo, but there's something absolutely intoxicating about the way this dude mixes. This is the perfect music and jams to get work done in the morning with a hot coffee. Hosted by 'This Moment' in collaboration with Slo Coffee, they're all about creating a space for slow beats, relaxed vibes, and good company (even as I sit here at my desk working from home!). Article of the week: 10 Best-Selling Utes in Australia Video of the week: When you're just trying to have a quiet weekend
