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Professor Suing Johnny Depp For Concert Confrontation Can Seek Punitive Damages
Depp in 'The Rum Diary' / Photo courtesy FilmDistrict
A woman suing Johnny Depp for injuries she claims she sustained during a confrontation at a concert got the go-ahead by a judge to seek punitive damages against the actor.
The suit centers around a December 2011 Iggy Pop concert at the Palladium attended by 53-year-old UC Irvine professor Robin Eckert and her husband.
Eckert holds the actor's security team partially responsible for her alleged injuries; the suit claims "Depp's goons went berserk" as Eckert attempted to return to her V.I.P. seat at the show. The suit claims Depp's musclemen grabbed her from behind and bear-hugged her, restrained both of her wrists and ripped her cell phone from her hand "one finger at a time." The suit further states that one of the bodyguards handcuffed her and dragged her on the ground, causing her pants to fall off, exposing her rear-end to other patrons.
Today Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Michael Johnson denied a motion by attorneys representing the 49-year-old Depp, the Hollywood Palladium management company and several security guard firms to only allow Eckert to pursue her claims for compensatory damages, according to City News Service.
Eckert is a mother of two, and has been on medical leave from her UCI post since 2009.
While Eckert says the attack was "highly painful and embarrassing," Depp's lawyer, Andrew Brettler, has maintained that his client did not have an active role in Eckert's alleged experience.
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