Veteran rocker Alice Cooper has laughed off reports suggesting his Hollywood Vampires bandmate Johnny Depp is battling poor health, insisting the guitarist feels great.
Recent photos of the movie star and rocker have sparked concerns for Depp’s health after he appeared to look gaunt and frail, but Alice urges fans not to believe the hype.
“I hear that Johnny Depp weighs 112 pounds, and his liver is failing, and he’s depressed,” the School’s Out hitmaker tells Metro. “I’m on the road with him and I’ve never seen him healthier, I’ve never seen him happier. He’s the happiest guy I know (and) he’s playing better than I’ve ever heard him play guitar, and he’s almost always laughing.
“It’s not at all the character he’s portrayed in the media. It’s the oddest thing. I’m going, ‘Who is this Johnny Depp they’re talking about…?’ I’m under the illusion that Johnny Depp is not in the least bit depressed, he’s not in the least bit unhealthy, in fact he’s healthier now than I’ve ever seen him. And he’s doing his best work!
“I live with the guy all day every day, so I know what’s going on.”
Depp has spent the last two years battling former managers, lawyers and his ex-wife Amber Heard amid reports his finances are in a mess.
Meanwhile, he’s facing another legal headache from the location manager on his shelved new movie City of Lies, who has sued the actor over an alleged physical altercation.
The film, in which Depp portrays the detective who investigated the murders of rappers Biggie Smalls and Tupac Shakur, was due to hit cinemas on 7 September (18), but it was put on ice by bosses at Global Road Entertainment after a location manager filed a lawsuit alleging the star punched him on the set – a claim Depp denies.