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Courier-Mail
08-08-2025
- Entertainment
- Courier-Mail
Royal butler's role in Depp-Heard Queensland dog smuggling revealed
Don't miss out on the headlines from Books. Followed categories will be added to My News. A celebrity fixer drawn into the infamous Australian antics of Johnny Depp and Amber Heard was a former butler to the Queen who prides himself on his discretion, it has emerged. A new book documenting the Hollywood stars' tempestuous relationship reveals that British citizen Ben King, who worked as Depp's butler and house manager, began work at Buckingham Palace as a 20-year-old. He also worked for Nelson Mandela and Andrew Lloyd Webber before being hired as Depp's right-hand man, according to Hollywood Vampires: Johnny Depp, Amber Heard and the Celebrity Exploitation Machine. And King had a central role in the hullabaloo over the A-list couple's smuggled dogs. The comical scandal blew up – drawing in government ministers and making headlines around the world – after it came to light that Heard illegally brought their two teacup Yorkies, Pistol and Boo, into Australia in 2015. Back in California … Johnny Depp and Amber Heard at a film premiere in Westwood in November 2015, after their stay in Australia earlier in the year. 'Clean and elegant with impeccable manners' … Ben King testifies in Fairfax County Circuit Court in April 2022, after Johnny Depp sued his ex-wife Amber Heard for libel. Described in the book as clean and elegant with impeccable manners, King and the drug-addicted Depp seemed an improbable pairing, but the butler employed the same approach he took with the late Queen Elizabeth. 'Trust and discretion are the two things required for the job,' he told the book's authors, journalists Kelly Loudenberg and Makiko Wholey. Yet it seems discretion was sorely lacking when King took the dogs to Queensland grooming parlour, Happy Dogz, while Depp was living in the state and filming the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise Dead Men Tell No Tales in 2015. STREAM FREE ON TUBI: DEPP/HEARD DOCUMENTARIES Requesting the salon trim back the dogs' hair and style their faces, King revealed to the staff that Pistol and Boo belonged to none other than Johnny Depp. Thrilled to be grooming two celebrity pets, the salon owner promptly posted the pictures of the dogs to Facebook, alerting Barnaby Joyce, then Minister of Agriculture. Doggy debacle … Boo and Pistol at the Gold Coast mansion rented by Depp from motorcycle champion Mick Doohan. Credit: Nine News In the doghouse … Amber Heard, accompanied by Johnny Depp, arrives at the Southport Magistrates Court in April 2016 to face two counts of breaching Australia's quarantine laws. She paid a fine but escaped conviction after pleading guilty and expressing remorse. While Joyce ordered the dogs be taken back to the US immediately or they'd be euthanised, King was frantic with fear that he'd lose his job, according to Hollywood Vampires. Depp reportedly told his butler not to worry and one of his team smuggled the Yorkies back to the US inside a hatbox placed on the actor's private jet. The fascinating relationship between the Hollywood stars and their entourage is laid bare in the book, which reveals how Depp demanded his team procure drugs for him and how they were left to clean up after he and Heard all but destroyed a rented Gold Coast mansion during a vicious argument. An extra hotel room was always rented in case a fight broke out between the couple and they needed to be sent to their own corners. Depp was already in an agitated state before Heard arrived Down Under to join him and texted his assistant Nathan Holmes asking for drugs. He said he'd been sober from booze for nine months but he was still taking ecstasy, according to the book. Ben King's former boss, Queen Elizabeth II. British music royalty Andrew Lloyd Webber. Holmes reportedly told his boss that 'the guy', a film crew member, could only carry two grams because if caught he faced two years in an Australia prison. Depp apparently exploded: 'Any ONE of ANY of you guys start to lecture me … I just do not want to hear it … No stupid bullshit about sappy bollocks.' It was Holmes and King who were faced with cleaning up after the couple's vicious row which led Depp to losing the top of his finger. The pair had to restore the damage to the house, estimated to be up to $300,000, without its owner, Aussie motorcycling champion Mick Doohan, learning about the drama. As part of the operation, King found a woman in the countryside to make a perfect copy of an antique lampshade on which Depp had painted 'Good Luck and Be Careful at the Top'. He also found someone to replace the chunk of marble that had come off the bar in the games room. New details … Hollywood Vampires will be published in Australia on August 12. Hollywood Vampires: Johnny Depp, Amber Heard and the Celebrity Exploitation Machine, by Kelly Loudenberg and Makiko Wholey, 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 PLUS Star Couple's Night of Aussie Mayhem: Exclusive extract on Sunday. Originally published as Manager who looked after Johnny Depp, Amber Heard, their smuggled dogs and their trashed mansion was former royal man
Express Tribune
19-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Express Tribune
Juror says women on Depp-Heard trial jury doubted Amber Heard more than male jurors
A male juror from the high-profile Johnny Depp v. Amber Heard defamation trial has shared new insights into the jury's deliberations, revealing that the two female jurors were particularly skeptical of Heard's testimony. The comments come from Hollywood Vampires: Johnny Depp, Amber Heard, and the Celebrity Exploitation Machine, a new book by Kelly Loudenberg and Makiko Wholey published June 17. Tom Nugen, a 53-year-old retired defense contractor, stated that 'the women were tougher on Amber than the men,' describing significant inconsistencies in Heard's statements. The comments provide new perspective on the jury's mindset during the widely watched trial. Nugen recalled that the jury found 'so many holes' in Heard's account that they struggled to believe her. 'They're all actors; they can put on a different face if you pay them enough,' he said. He also admitted to enjoying Depp's courtroom demeanor, saying his testimony offered a 'breath of fresh air' during the long proceedings. Nugen said most jurors were unfamiliar with Heard before the trial. He also emphasized that the case highlighted how abuse allegations shouldn't be assumed to involve only male perpetrators. 'Not every case of abuse is from the man,' he said, adding that for ordinary men, a false accusation could be life-altering. Depp sued Heard in 2022 over a Washington Post op-ed about domestic violence. He won all three defamation claims, while Heard prevailed on one of her countersuits. She later paid Depp $1 million in a settlement. The book offers a rare behind-the-scenes look into one of the most scrutinized celebrity trials, revealing how media narratives and personal bias influence the pursuit of justice.
