Johnny Depp's former business managers countersue for $560k

Los Angeles — Johnny Depp's former business managers are suing the actor, claiming that his lavish spending is to blame for his recent financial trouble.

The countersuit filed on Tuesday in Los Angeles Superior Court by The Management Group comes roughly two weeks after Depp sued the company alleging it grossly mismanaged his earnings.

Tuesday's filing alleges Depp was spending more than $2m a month on living expenses and refused to heed calls from his business managers to control his spending.

The lawsuit said the Pirates of the Caribbean actor paid more than $75m to buy and maintain 14 homes, including a French chateau and a chain of islands in the Bahamas.

Depp also spent heavily to buy a 150-foot yacht, fly on private jets and cultivate collections of fine art and Hollywood memorabilia requiring 12 storage facilities to maintain, the lawsuit said.

The 53-year-old's lawsuit filed on 13 January seeks more than $25m, while his former business managers are primarily seeking $560k they say they are owed in unpaid fees and a judge's ruling that the actor is to blame for his financial troubles.

A phone message and email to Depp's attorney was not immediately returned on Tuesday.