JOHNNY DEPP sued his former business managers Friday alleging they mismanaged his earnings throughout a lucrative period of his career, although the company says the actor’s spending is to blame.

    Depp’s lawsuit filed in Los Angeles Superior Court against The Management Group seeks more than US$25 million, alleging its owners failed to properly pay his taxes, made unauthorized loans and overpaid for security and other services.

    Michael J. Kump, an attorney for The Management Group, calls Depp’s lawsuit a “fabrication” and wrote in a statement that Depp never alleged any wrongdoing. The company “did everything possible to protect Depp from his irresponsible and profligate spending,” Kump wrote.

    Depp’s lawsuit accuses the company and its owners, attorneys Joel and Robert Mandel, of receiving US$28 million in payments for their services over the roughly 16 years they managed his finances. The company “actively concealed the true state of Mr. Depp’s finances while driving him deeper and deeper into financial distress,” the lawsuit states.

    Depp hired the Mandels in 1999 and their compensation was not subject to a written contract, his lawsuit states.

    The lawsuit came on the same day Depp finalized his divorce from actress Amber Heard. Their divorce judgment calls for the actor to pay his ex-wife US$7 million in installments — which she has earmarked for two charities — while allowing him to keep numerous properties and vehicles.

    (SD-Agencies)