She said he lamented ‘the death of journalistic integrity’
An influencer has claimed that she had a 90-minute phone call with Johnny Depp during his defamation case against Amber Heard that saw him be awarded $10m in damages.
Jessica Reed Kraus posted daily updates from the trail in Fairfax, Virginia, and told her 900,000 followers that an “old friend” introduced her to the actor after seeing her coverage on Instagram.
On Tuesday, the self-declared “Hollywood Philosopher” claimed to have spoken to the 58-year-old actor on April 11, the same day the trial kicked off. Kraus claims to have been introduced through a friend who she referred to as a “valuable resource” for her coverage. She did not name the person.
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While conversing about the trial, the unnamed friend is said to have invited an anonymous source to talk. He needed “no introduction”, according to Kraus, and his voice “booms through the phone.”
“Johnny Depp, voice bathed in slow southern charm, greets me with ‘hello’,” she wrote.
Kraus added: “‘I don’t know you’ [Depp] says, ‘but I know, just by the words you use and the aesthetic in your work, that I trust you.'”
She also said he came off as “smart, curious, funny and polite.”
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The story was posted to the Influencers Substack, which requires a membership to view in full. During their supposed conversation, the pair were said to have discussed his “tendency to trust the wrong people”, as well as his favourite books and his general distaste for the media.
The actor allegedly lost faith in the media after a 2018 Rolling Stones article unpacked his financial struggles.
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Speaking to Insider, the fangirl said that she was able to meet Depp at a cocktail party after he’d testified. He apparently thanked her “for caring enough to carve [her coverage] with intention”, unlike the media organisation which had “failed him so many times before.”
Her Instagram includes pictures with Depp’s legal counsel Camille Vasquez, Benjamin Chew, and other members of Depp’s team. She does not appear to have pictures with Depp.
Kraus’ claims have not been substantiated by anyone else and come after a man pretending to be a juror recently spoke out as a prank.
Related stories:
- Amber Heard denies she’s being cut from Aquaman 2
- Johnny Depp case: Man who went viral on TikTok claiming to be a juror admits it was a ‘prank’
- Amber Heard still plans to donate $7m to charity even though she can’t afford to pay Johnny Depp
