Johnny Depp is back in court to seek damages from Bruce Jackson

 

American actor Johnny Depp has returned to the courts with his friend Jeff Beck, guitarist of his band, to seek damages from Bruce Jackson, an American folklorist, documentary filmmaker, writer and photographer.

Depp and Beck sued Bruce Jackson, who previously accused them of plagiarism for the lyrics of the song "Sad Motherf... Parade." Jackson wrote a poem that appeared in a 1974 book on toasts titled "Get Your Ass In The Water And Swim Like Me."

Depp and Beck's collaboration on "Sad motherfuckin' parade" reportedly excerpted some lines from the poem, including, "I'm ragged, I know, but I ain't got no smell," "God bless the lady who'll buy me a drink," and "What that funky motherfucker really needs, child, is a bath."

In the lawsuit by Depp and Beck, they alleged that the lyrics to "Hobo Ben" have no clear origin, and Jackson has no rights to the lyrics. They alleged that the lyrics were a folk quantum.

The plaintiffs are seeking damages from Jackson and want to clear their names. They reportedly want to prove that they did not commit plagiarism.

This year, Depp won the legal battle against his ex-wife, Amber Heard. The Virginia court ordered Heard to pay USD 10 million in compensatory damages and USD 5 million in punitive damages to Depp.

Depp sued his ex-wife for defamation over a 2018 op-ed in The Washington Post, where Heard said that she was a survivor of domestic violence. Depp’s name wasn’t mentioned in the article, however, Depp’s lawyers argued it falsely implied that Depp sexually and physically abused her. Heard also countersued her ex-husband for $100 million in 2021. However, she lost the case this year.

Heard requested the court for a new trial. However, the Virginia court rejected Heard's demand and denied a fresh trial.