Model and actress Carré Otis, who was quoted in Paul Barresi’s book Johnny Depp’s Accidental Fixer: How A Hollywood Sleuth Saved A Pirate’s Honor, told Bored Panda that she has never been contacted by the controversial Hollywood fixer.
Paul, who released his self-published book on July 5, where he described his experience being hired by Amber Heard’s private investigator to “dig up dirt” about Johnny Depp, claimed he had interviewed Carré among 100 people.
Highlights
- Carré Otis denied ever speaking to Paul Barresi, despite being quoted in his book about Johnny Depp.
- Carré expressed sympathy for Amber Heard and denied involvement in any investigation about Johnny.
- Paul claimed his book is based on interviews with 100 people, including Carré, who refuted this claim.
The former adult film actor stated that Carré had scoffed at the idea that Johnny was violent, saying it was “ridiculous.”
However, upon being reached by Bored Panda’s team for comment on Paul’s work, the 55-year-old actress revealed that not only had she never been contacted by the author, but she also sympathized with Amber.
“I have not officially been interviewed or reached out [to] by anyone on Johnny Depp’s team at any time,” Carré told Bored Panda in an email.
Carré Otis was quoted in Paul Barresi’s book, Johnny Depp’s Accidental Fixer: How A Hollywood Sleuth Saved A Pirate’s Honor
Image credits: Gilbert Carrasquillo/GC Images
The Exit in Red star affirmed that there was “no reason” she should’ve been quoted in Paul’s book and that she had not been alerted about the project.
She continued: “I do not know Amber, but [I] empathize with her and her position, nor do I know [Johnny] well at all, and [I] cannot speak to his name.
“Other than the time I was modeling. There were lots of rumors floating about guarding this relationship with [Amber]. [It] appear[ed], at that time, that [it] was alleged to be abusive.”
Carré went on to emphasize that she had never been interviewed by Paul and that she stood firm in her “knowledge and truth.”
Image credits: Gregg DeGuire/WireImage
The Sports Illustrated model is familiar with experiencing domestic abuse. In her 2011 memoir, Beauty Disrupted, Carré candidly wrote about her abusive relationship with Mickey Rourke, whom she was married to from June 1992 to December 1998.
“Every time Mickey hurt me, he would apologize profusely afterward, crying and begging for my forgiveness, promising it would never happen again,” Carré wrote.
In 1994, the Sin City star was arrested for assaulting Carré, who eventually dropped the charge. That year, he was also charged with resisting arrest during a fight outside a South Beach nightclub, The New York Times reported in 2008.
Moreover, the 71-year-old actor has publicly supported Johnny Depp. Appearing on Piers Morgan’s Piers Morgan Uncensored in 2022, he told the British journalist: "I was in a situation one time where I was blamed for something I didn't do. It cost me movie jobs for several years.
"I felt bad for somebody trying to get chopped down by some gold-digger."
However, Carré exclusively told Bored Panda that she has never been contacted by the controversial Hollywood fixer
Image credits: Ron Galella, Ltd./Ron Galella Collection
Paul’s book release comes after the 74-year-old was hired by Amber’s legal team to dig up dirt on the Pirates of the Caribbean star during their 2022 defamation lawsuit.
The highly publicized case pitted Johnny against the All the Boys Love Mandy Lane star over a 2018 defamatory op-ed she wrote for The Washington Post in which she described herself as a “public figure representing domestic abuse.”
The lawsuit was heavily exploited by fans on both sides, with supporters of each celebrity using social media to sway public opinion.
This exploitation was further capitalized on by media outlets, such as with Netflix’s Depp v. Heard series.
Image credits: Wikimedia Commons/Paul Barresi
With Paul being the latest figure to capitalize on the infamous legal case, the author joined the broader trend where public support disproportionately favored Johnny, often ignoring evidence against him and attributing blame to Amber.
According to Johnny Depp’s Accidental Fixer, Paul embarked on an “unwavering quest for the truth” about Johnny, even if the findings were not what Amber’s lawyers wanted.
Paul was reportedly first hired by the 38-year-old actress‘ team in July 2019 to turn up information that could be useful against Johnny ahead of both defamation trials in the UK and the US.
The Edward Scissorhands talent ultimately lost the 2020 libel case at the High Court in London against a UK newspaper that had branded him a “wife-beater,” with a judge ruling he had put Amber in fear of her life, The Daily Mail reported at the time.
Paul, who released his self-published book on July 5, claimed he had interviewed Carré among 100 people
Image credits: Amazon
However, back in the US, a second libel trial in Virginia against the mom-of-one ruled in Johnny’s favor, with a jury awarding him a total of $15 million - $10 million in compensation and $5 million in punitive damages, as per the British tabloid.
Paul didn’t specify which case he was working on, only that he was given instructions to “delve into the life and history of Johnny Depp and uncover evidence of his alleged physical abuse towards women,” The Daily Mail reported.
The Massachusetts native claimed that he had been told to dig up witness statements, videos, photos, or anything else that could substantiate Amber’s domestic abuse claims against Johnny.
In addition to Carré, Paul claimed he also interviewed former child star Olivia Barash, who worked at the famed Hollywood nightclub The Viper Room, which Johnny owned in the 1990s.
Image credits: Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic
According to the author, Olivia said: “Johnny doesn’t have a mean bone in his body.”
As per The Daily Mail, among the most forthright to defend Johnny was tattoo artist Jonathan Shaw, a close friend of the actor, who told the Hollywood fixer: “Johnny is super controlled, and a superhuman being.
“The only thing I would be willing to help that gold- digging w***e (Heard) do is help load the gun she wanted to use to blow her f****** brains out.”
Nevertheless, Paul also included a testimony from Journalist Mark Ebner, who recalled being threatened by Johnny that he would “set (him) on fire” during an encounter at the Viper Room.
Paul’s book release comes after the 74-year-old was hired by Amber’s legal team to dig up dirt on Johnny during their legal case
Image credits: FOX 5 Washington DC
The author conceived that Mark’s account was a “chilling preclude” to the actor’s now infamous text to his actor buddy Paul Bettany, which came out at the trial in Virginia.
In a 2013 text exchange with the British actor, Johnny had written: “Let’s burn her, let’s drown her before we burn her,” in reference to Amber.
Despite being hired by Amber, Paul has long considered himself in Johnny’s corner, telling GeekBuzz two years ago: “I relate to and empathize with him because we both had horrible childhoods and cruel parents.
“I believe he’s been misguided because he grew up without an authority figure to guide him and champion him.”
And while he identified as a private investigator when he was supposedly hired by Amber’s legal team, an official document by California’s Bureau of Security and Investigative Services shows that Paul’s private investigator’s license was revoked in 2012.
The Bureau’s document revealed that Paul had admitted to faking a report of his ex-girlfriend’s drug use to get her fired.
After her trial with her ex-husband, Amber faced significant sexism and mistreatment from the public.
Social media platforms were flooded with memes and derogatory comments that often belittled her allegations of abuse, reflecting a gender-biased narrative.
The lawsuit was heavily exploited by fans on both sides, with supporters of each celebrity using social media to sway public opinion
For instance, TikTok trends mocking the actress’ testimony — which included an allegation of rape — went viral, and hashtags like #AmberTurd trended on Twitter (now X), contributing to a hostile online environment.
The backlash and negative public perception following the trial severely impacted the Texas native’s career, leading to reduced screen time in films like Aquaman 2 and fewer new roles being offered to her.
Amber has since sold her home in the town of Yucca Valley, California, to move to Spain with her daughter, Oonagh Paige, whom she had via surrogacy in April 2021.
She first moved to the island of Mallorca before settling down in the capital city of Madrid.
Bored Panda has reached out to Olivia Barash, Paul Barresi, and Amber Heard’s representatives for comment.