Doug Stanhope: Johnny Depp ‘thanked’ me for ‘being honest’ about Amber Heard

Just days after Amber Heard first went to court, seeking and receiving a restraining order against Johnny Depp after she presented a mountain of evidence that Depp was a domestic abuser, Depp’s good friend Doug Stanhope came out to defend his bro. Stanhope, a comedian, wrote an “op-ed” for The Wrap about how all of Depp’s friends knew that Amber was a super-manipulative wet blanket and everybody hated her and she was crying abuse to blackmail Depp. It was one of the biggest douche-bro defenses I’ve ever read. Amber thought so too. She filed a lawsuit against Stanhope for defamation days later. I sincerely hoped that the lawsuit would shut him up. It did not. Stanhope appeared on Howard Stern’s show on Monday to tell his side of the story. Douchebag says what?

Johnny Depp’s pal Doug Stanhope broke his silence about the defamation lawsuit Amber Heard filed over the explosive op-ed he wrote for TheWrap, in which he claimed that the actress was blackmailing her estranged husband. Stanhope, 49, was a guest on The Howard Stern Show on Monday, June 20. He told Stern that Legalzoom.com is defending him in the case. “Anything that I say, they can twist my words,” the comedian complained. “It’s such a bulls–t suit.”

He went on to detail his side of the story about the article, and how it went viral after it was posted on TheWrap on May 29, six days after Heard filed for divorce from Depp. “I put it on my website. The title was ‘At a Loss for Words’ … whatever it was. TheWrap got it as an exclusive, however that worked, and said, ‘Amber Heard Is Blackmailing Johnny Depp — This Is How I Know.’ I didn’t write that f–king title. I didn’t put that stupid tabloid title in there. I’m a better writer than that, so I don’t know if it’s hinged on that, I don’t know how much of it is spite.”

While Heard called the piece “highly defamatory,” Stanhope said that Johnny Depp was happy with it. “I had no contact with [Depp] until he texted me after that went out and said, ‘Hey, thanks for being honest.’ He didn’t know that was going out. I was a little petrified because it kind of made him look like a bitch. ‘Cause he was kind of a bitch,” he said.

Although he admitted it “still feels like name-dropping,” Stanhope maintained that he didn’t write the op-ed for publicity, and said the lawsuit is comical to him because he doesn’t have millions of dollars to lose. “The idea of some Hollywood supermodel lady winning all of my s–t … She would be locking the doors driving down my street even without seeing a person. I live on the Mexican border in this dirty pothole-riddled neighborhood.”

Stanhope still stands by what he wrote, and repeated his allegations from the article on the radio show. “I visited him that day,” he said of May 21, the day Heard says Depp hit her with a cellphone during a violent argument. “He was alluding to the fact that she was going to do something like this. She didn’t come out until a week later that that happened. But it happened that night, and he was alluding to she’s going to do something like this.”

“I think what she’s trying to do is make me shut the f–k up,” Stanhope concluded. “Because I can’t say anything about it, and now I’m talking more.”


[From Us Weekly]

The most interesting part is that Depp called him to “thank” him for being “honest” after the op-ed was published. If you go back and read the op-ed, it’s not like Stanhope was being honest about witnessing whatever dynamic between Amber and Johnny. He was being “honest” about the sh-t Depp had told him, stuff which Stanhope just took as gospel. Depp told Stanhope that Amber was going to claim that he (Depp) was abusive. And since Stanhope is incapable of critical thinking, he just believed that Depp was some kind of savant rather than an abuser who was enlisting his bros’ help in gaslighting his victimized wife.

Photos courtesy of Getty, Fame/Flynet.

You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.

80 Responses to “Doug Stanhope: Johnny Depp ‘thanked’ me for ‘being honest’ about Amber Heard”

Comments are Closed

We close comments on older posts to fight comment spam.

  1. Danielle says:

    Aww, I bet Johnnys thanks will keep him warm at night when he loses he house. Dumb*ss.

    • Goats on the Roof says:

      I don’t want him to lose the roof over his head, but I would LOVE it if this jackass gets hit with a huge fine. He shot his mouth off on shit he knows nothing about and now it’s time for some consequences.

    • frisbee says:

      I doubt that he’ll lose his house. He was well compensated in free publicity when he opened his mouth and no doubt he’ll be well compensated for the claim from Depps he was just ‘being honest’. The Depp PR campaign to ‘change the conversation’ has been well oiled from the start.

    • EM says:

      Depp has enough money to buy him another house – that’s the scary thing, the balance of power between Depp & Heard. It’s in favour of Depp. Sad, but true.

      • Santia says:

        So true. Even he loses the suit, he’ll just file for bankruptcy and go “visit” indefinitely in a house owned by Depp.

    • Talie says:

      I listened to the clip — he was really stuttering and stumbling when Stern was questioning him. So her lawsuit did shut him up, effectively. He couldn’t speak on it like he wanted to. And it does seem like Depp hung him out to dry…

      • Gretchen says:

        That’s actually just the way he talks… his stand up, while also being unfunny, is painful because of his voice and stammers. It’s worse in the Stern interview, for whatever reason, but stuttering itself is not incriminating since I’m fairly certain the guy has drank his way through most of his brain cells.

      • Shockadelica81 says:

        That’s what his buddy Depp sounds like you in his last couple of years! And I was actually making excuses for him as a Depp fan thinking he was just nervous on tv like he claimed.Which in part is true but I now realize that his strange stumbling and mumbling constantly is from his brain being damaged from all of the boozing and drugs.

      • StormsMama says:

        Talie
        Yup he’s a dumbass and Depp let him throw himself in front of the bus

    • K2 says:

      She’s donating any winnings to domestic abuse charities. So I do hope he loses his house – a man whose comedy sctick apparently revolves around the sheer hilarity of beating the crap out of a sex worker could probably do with donating to that cause. Depp can rehouse him as a thank you present.

    • Ambers says:

      A innocent man never gets his friends to talk for him on twitter and facebook. But seems everyone he has on his payroll or helping them out with their music or books or photography are speaking for him to fans to keep his guilt hidden. The more they speak the more they make him look guilty. A innocent man would battle it out in court not on social media of his friends with fans. Guess he isn’t guilty of cheating or drinking either. According to his facebook and twitter friends he is a saint. But how can he know what was said on twitter he doesn’t have one or facebook. So guess Doug called him up and said I did what you asked so now give me what is mine.

  2. Alix says:

    Never even heard of this d-bag before he came to Depp’s defense. Does he have any kind of career?

    • Megan says:

      I had never heard of him, either. Of course he will keep talking about this, it’s the best thing that ever happened to his “career.”

    • SM says:

      Me too. Never heard of this douchebag. And just looking at photos of him here he does like a hot mess just like his friend Johnny. And all those arguments that she is looking for fame and fortune by accusing him of domestic violence just shows how these middle aged men are out of touch with reality. She doesn’t have much to gain from this as the public shaming of women who experience violence and faming of the victim is still very prevalent in our societies. So shut up already.

    • SnazzyisAlive says:

      Me neither actually.
      Hopefully he will quickly crawl back into the hole from which Johnny found him
      -Snazzy

    • MC2 says:

      You guys must have missed the amazing show he hosted- “The Man Show”. It was a horrible pos show on Comedy Central where they had girls in bikinis jumping on trampolines & frat boys guzzling beer. It is epic in the books of sexist shows, rape culture & pop riddled with misogyny.

  3. Roxane says:

    Oh gosh, STFU !!!

  4. Samtha says:

    Legalzoom.com, huh?

    This dipshit doesn’t seem to realize that it’s not about getting money from him at all. And he conveniently forgets to mention that any money awarded is going to a shelter for abused women.

    • The Other Katherine says:

      I know, right? I literally LOL’d at Legalzoom. These are the people who do, like, doc-in-a-box set up for small businesses. I’m guessing he has some kind of insurance policy that uses these legal eagles for defense counsel if the policyholder is sued.

      • GoodNamesAllTaken says:

        Me, too. I thought they did wills and leases and stuff. A defamation lawsuit? Hahahahahaha! Good luck with that!

      • noway says:

        One of the owners of legal zoom is Robert Shapiro of OJ Simpson fame. Just wondering if he may take it, with all its publicity probably a boost for legal zoom.

    • burnsie says:

      Not defending this jackass at all, but the legalzoom thing was a joke. I read it on Us Weekly’s site last night

  5. GoodNamesAllTaken says:

    He says Amber is lying about things that happened when he wasn’t there. Ok. What a reliable source. He barely knew them. Funny, I don’t see their intimate friends talking about this. Oh, wait, they’re testifying for Amber.

    • Pinky says:

      The REALLY interesting part is this:

      “I visited him that day,” he said of May 21, the day Heard says Depp hit her with a cellphone during a violent argument. “He was alluding to the fact that she was going to do something like this. She didn’t come out until a week later that that happened. But it happened that night, and he was alluding to she’s going to do something like this.”

      That means Johnny was covering his tracks and trying to make himself the victim right then, because he knew what he did was wrong. Classic abuser behavior. Build a coalition of allies and Beliebers as soon as you get violent. Stanhope don’t got a prayer.

      –TheRealPinky

      • Snowflake says:

        Exactly.

      • Crumpet says:

        Yep. That struck me too. Johnny practically said he did something to her and now she was going to try and use it against him. Well duh asshole.

      • Lisa says:

        It’s like Depp knew, in advance, that he was going to hit her with his phone? Wow, right?

      • Miss S says:

        If that is true then this idea of Depp needing help but not being a bad person really is questioned, at least by me. I understand someone who has problems, but this is super manipulative.
        Also if he doesn’t have money there’s another reason why Depp could totally buy him and more, if he didn’t agree with the tittle why didn’t he made a public announcement about it instead of letting it go viral without questioning it?

        This guy is full of it

      • Kitten says:

        Exactly. The dude is too dumb to see that he got played.

      • noway says:

        The way I read it and the timeline from Amber would have him talking to Stanhope before not after the incident on May 21. The funny thing about this is even if Stanhope is correct and Johnny was concerned about Amber accusing him of abuse, it still doesn’t mean he didn’t abuse her. Honestly, I don’t understand why some go in to such great detail and theories on the abuse. The reality is if this was only one time, which I know is not what she is claiming, but even if it was just the one time would that make it any better? The answer should be no. Once is one time too many.

      • Wren says:

        That stood out at me too. He both admitted that it happened (according to Johnny) and also that Johnny was totally using him to cover his ass. Yet without realizing any of it. Like, innocent people don’t act that way. “Oh, my wife is going to say I did this thing, but I totally didn’t and she’s so mean to me. You got my back, right bro?” “Yeah, totally! What a bitch!”

        Dude just isn’t very bright, is he?

      • mmm says:

        Also the real essay from Stanhope also supports Amber’s declaration:
        Stanhope wrote Johnny seemed paranoid, anxious and hadn’t sleep in days when they talked.
        Amber Heard said Johnny was paranoid, in a state of delusion, high and drunk that night too
        Even if I believe the same than you, that Johnny knew Amber will be out with the domestic violence, because he really abused her and they were already in a bad state of their relationship that day (He told to Stanhope that his Amber going to leave him now and that’s why he was so distressed not because the death of his mother and Amber said she didn’t see him for an entire month since he attacked her after the celebration of her 30 birthday. So it was the end for sure!) which i can’t understand is how his friends are so gullible?
        So, Johnny a 53 years old paranoid man, who was sure his “witchy” wife was about to put some tramp over him that same day, goes to visit her at her/their penthouse drunk without more witness, that night? He’s an idiot if that’s what he pretends people to believe

      • Birdy says:

        yep! this guy is a moron and so is dirty depp!

    • Intuitive says:

      The way I read it is a bit different. I totally believe all of Amber’s claims. I think maybe during the course of the abusive relationship, she threatened to leave Depp and/or report the abuse. Isn’t that quite a common pattern: that the abuser will be full of remorse and promise never to do it again, or get help etc etc. and the partner will stay, believing/hoping that the abuser will change? So, what Depp allegedly said to this douchbag had a (slightly warped) grain of truth to it, but it was also Depp’s way of covering his back. It was hardly ‘blackmail’ on Amber’s part though, by any stretch of the imagination!

  6. LAK says:

    Poor doug. Victimised by the media and victimised by Amber….but The Emperor texted his thanks, so all is good.

    Ps: buy his book. Foreword by JD. Available at all bookstores the day after this defence of the emperor dropped!!

  7. littlemissnaughty says:

    It feels like name-dropping because it is. And yet you continue to do it. Nobody knew your name before this. The best thing anyone can say about him now is that he’s an opportunist. The worst … well.

    All these men acting like bitchy little babies, it’s so exhausting. Him, Calvin Whatshisface (on a completely different level of course), that ridiculous little man who thought he should tell Ayesha Curry how to behave. As if she’s a little girl that needs scolding. Gross. They all sound so whiny and weak, it’s pathetic really. I wonder who raises men like that, I honestly do.

    • Wren says:

      We do. Or at least our society does. I think it’s yet another example of how our patriarchal system fails boys as much as girls. Nobody ever notices when things are unfair in their favor but the wailing and gnashing of teeth reaches deafening levels when it’s, however briefly, the other way round.

      It’s exhausting and stupid, isn’t it?

  8. Bitchy architect says:

    Is it me or does this guy look a lot like Donald trump?

  9. lucy2 says:

    I get wanting to be supportive of a friend, but attacking her like he did was just gross. He needs to just shut up and stay out of it, he wasn’t there.

  10. Talie says:

    I will be so happy when she takes the trailer he lives in and donates the proceeds to an abuse charity. Boy, bye!

  11. Insomniac says:

    Yeah, I’m sure Johnny appreciated that hit piece. I’m also sure that whenever someone claims “That bitch is going to say I did this but I totally didn’t,” he couldn’t possibly be lying. God, I hope Amber fries this guy’s douchebag ass.

  12. Rapunzel says:

    Wow… He’s got legalzoom.com? Is the Emperor not paying his legal fees?

    The only thing I believe from him is that thewrap.com came up with that inflammatory sounding title. Are they included in Amber’s suit? They should be.

    • Miss S says:

      Did he make some public complain about the tittle though? He didn’t, he let it go viral because even though he didn’t write it wasn’t that far off of what he felt like posting. So he can’t realy come up now and not be accountable for it, can he?

    • mmm says:

      She included 20 more jon/jane doe to be determined in her lawsuit, So i think “The Wrap” and Johnny’s publicist will be included for sure (that column didn’t arrive sent by the “lord” to “The Wrap”) and these comments are solidifying a lawsuit against the wrap, which also was requested to remove the column from their site by Amber’s lawyer and they didn’t.
      Like i read somewhere, Amber’s lawyer is the same that sued and won U$140 million to Gawker for the Hulk Hogan video. A small fish like Stanhope must be the excuse but the target could be The Wrap and Johnny’s PR team. Hope so…that little shelter for abused women in Arizona will be so happy

  13. Izzy says:

    Legalzoom? That’s adorable. If they were any good, they would have told him first thing, “STFU or your big mouth will lose this case in 1-2-3.” Or maybe they did and now they’ll be smart enough to can him as a client. Idiot.

  14. lisa2 says:

    He is just proving what I thought. Johnny set his dumb ass up and he is too stupid to see that the Emperor sent the Court Jester out to entertain the crowd.. he did the bidding of the Emperor and now he is a bit scared he is going to lose the little he has. I understand supporting your friend but this is a very serious matter. And he stepped out making loud mouth claims about a situation he only had Johnny’s word for. Notice none of his other friends wrote a op-ed.. they tweeted out support. And even then the list of supporter is not a long one. I really think there are a lot of people in Hollywood who actually believe Amber’s claims.

    • emilie says:

      ‎I also think a lot of people in hollywood believe her. Amanda De Cadenet‬ said that all the women at her party (the day after the phone attack) saw Amber’s bruises. There were a lot of big names at that party.

    • Wren says:

      Slightly off topic, but why is Johnny being called the Emperor now? Did I miss something…?

      However, apt analogy, and it’s kinda pathetic that this man doesn’t see what’s happening. He seems so…. disingenuous about it. Like he’s perfectly content taking Johnny’s words at face value and running with it, like he fully believes Johnny and sees zero reason to question him. Keep digging that hole, bro.

      • emilie says:

        Because he is not Depp’s friend. He is a fan. Depp’s fans would believe Amber Heard is an alien sent by Gollum and “the lesbian cult” to bring down their hero, over Depp being abusive. I don’t think Johnny Depp has any real friends.

      • Miss M says:

        @Wren: the douche bro, Doug, called JD his Emperor in his stupid letter/post. Lol

    • mary simon says:

      I think Bland-Dope’s idol is paying all his legal fees, and will pay any money that Amber hopefully receives from her case against him.

  15. abby says:

    Nah bro.

  16. eggy weggs says:

    I was a big fan of his. I’m super sad he’s outed himself as a douche-bro, but I suppose it’s good to know just exactly what you’re supporting — or not supporting — when you buy tickets to his standup show or Johnny Depp’s movies.

  17. Beckysuz says:

    What a douchenozzle

  18. Amide says:

    He’s a pill. But Amber’s case will be VERY difficult to win in court, and he, or his people probably know this so he can brag.

    • Miss S says:

      But as far as I understand the case is open in the sense that there are 20 people who are still unnamed in the process and anything he says now can be used against him in the process. And I read somewhere that the goal of Amber’s lawyer isn’t so much to win the case, but the process/investigation (I don’t know how to call it legally) can potentially dig a lot of dirt that can be used against Depp. His lawyer did that with Gawker and even used emails exchange as proof.

      Looking at what happened to gawker I would be more careful. But this guy as a book to shill, right? …

  19. CornyBlue says:

    Stanhope is known as a libertarian and a self-described anarchist.[28] In 2004, he endorsed the Free State Project, and said, “The Free State Project stands out as one of few ideas that could produce tangible change in our lifetime. The vision of Christian gun enthusiasts buying hand-painted targets from pot-smoking artists, laughing together while they give the tax man the finger, is beautiful enough to make the move.”

    What a delight.

    • Who ARE these people? says:

      Euw. And what an idiot!

    • Kitten says:

      Please. Pot-smoking artists and Christian gun nutters are natural enemies.

      This guy officially sucks.

    • Veronica says:

      I find a lot of people who call themselves “libertarian” just like to jump on the “no taxes” talking point without thinking about the full implications of that. I’m fairly moderate and fully support downsizing the federal government, but it’ll be a cold day in hell before I think privatizing things like fire companies and police is a good idea.

  20. stinky says:

    royal tool

  21. mmm says:

    Stanhope only met them by the end of 2013, isn’t his old friend and i’m not sure how much Johnny cares about him. He told how he invited them to Australia, put them into a hotel and the night they went to a dinner with him, Johnny excused himself to call his wife (Amber) and fall asleep talking with her and never returned and never shared the dinner with them nor see them again

    Johnny wrote the forward of the book Stanhope is promoting now. He’s always speaking about Johnny on his podcast and seems starstruck by him. Zero critical thinking like you said.

    I think Johnny really told him Amber will do this, not because she would lie, but because she already had warned him that she had proofs of his abuses over the years. But like you say this drunkard (Stanhope) is unable to think in the other likely scenario

    It makes sense that his addicted friends, like Stanhope and other that’s very vocal againts her, his enablers assistants, and all really hated her if she was really trying for Johnny to stop drinking (as i think she really did. The only time he’s been sober all these years was their first two years of relationship, to conquest her) she must have been a pain in the a$$ for these leech-friends, trying to keep Johnny away from their influence (because Stanhope is an alcoholic without any doubt)

    • Shockadelica81 says:

      So true! She was the only one that was not enabling him anymore. They might not have liked her but they also don’t know what she wa going through privately.And like you said, she was trying to keep his leech,addict friends away which means she REALLY didn’t like them too.

  22. NotSoSocialButterfly says:

    “I think what she’s trying to do is make me shut the f–k up,” Stanhope concluded. “Because I can’t say anything about it, and now I’m talking more.”

    This guy sincerely has no idea how lawsuits work…amazing. He’ll double down on that garbage until the bitter end.

    • Shockadelica81 says:

      Right?! She doesn’t want you to stfu because the more you spew that nonsense out of your mouth,the worse your buddy looks and the better she looks! It’s no wonder why Depp’s camp hasn’t shut him down yet because the want to smear her name and he’s being used for that. Dumbass!🙄🙄😂😂👋🏾👋🏾

  23. Shockadelica81 says:

    “She didn’t come out until a week later that that happened. But it happened that night, and he was alluding to she’s going to do something like this.”

    But the police were called that night idiot! And she filed for divorce two days later! She didn’t want this to get out which is why she waited a few days to get the restraining order.She was still trying to protect him which is classic abuse victims behavior.

    Wow what an idiot. He just dug himself another hole in that desert he lives in.He clearly doesn’t know how abuser/lawsuits work. Maybe your buddy Johnny told you he knew what was coming because HE KNEW HE WAS GUILTY AND STARTED TO MAKE HIMSELF LOOK LIKE THE VICTIM?! Typical abuser behavior.

    Maybe your main man can pay your legal fees Knucklehead😂😂😂

  24. Veronica says:

    The fact that this guy lives on the “Mexican border” is probably the best argument I’ve seen in defense of Trump’s wall.