Johnny Depp ‘fired sH๏τgun blanks at ᴀssistant’ in wild prank with Hunter S. Thompson, claims Don Johnson

Johnny Depp ‘fired sH๏τgun blanks’ at a terrified ᴀssistant in a wild prank, Don Johnson has claimed.

Johnson, 74, recalled the dangerous incident as he appeared on Thursday’s Jimmy Kimmel Live!, detailing how he had been journalist Hunter S. Thompson’s neighbor in Woody Creek, Colorado. 

A young Depp sparked up a friendship with the writer in 1994 and would play him in the 1998 film adaptation of his 1972 novel, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas.

Johnson said: ‘I called over to Hunter’s to see if had any weed and, of course, he had. Like a ton out back.

‘So I said, “Listen, I’m going to come over and get some weed ’cause I got a little group of people here.”

Johnny Depp 'fired sH๏τgun blanks' at a terrified ᴀssistant in a wild prank with Hunter S. Thompson, Don Johnson has claimed - pictured on Thursday's Jimmy Kimmel Live!

Johnny Depp ‘fired sH๏τgun blanks’ at a terrified ᴀssistant in a wild prank with Hunter S. Thompson, Don Johnson has claimed – pictured on Thursday’s Jimmy Kimmel Live!

A young Depp sparked up a friendship with the writer in 1994 and would play him in the 1998 film adaptation of his 1972 novel, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas - pictured 1998 with Benicio Del Toro

A young Depp sparked up a friendship with the writer in 1994 and would play him in the 1998 film adaptation of his 1972 novel, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas – pictured 1998 with Benicio Del Toro

Read More Johnny Depp doesn’t ‘have any ill feelings toward anyone’ 2 years after legal war against ex-wife article image

Johnson sent his ᴀssistant to pick up the weed, with the star saying: ‘[He] drives up Hunter’s driveway and Johnny Depp and Hunter were hiding behind Hunter’s car with sH๏τguns loaded with blanks and my ᴀssistant got out of the car and they both jumped out and said, “Die, mother!”’ before shooting the blanks.

Johnson said the ᴀssistant had ‘peed his pants’ from fear and added: ‘God bless him.’  

Johnson and Thompson were best friends for three decades before the journalist’s death by suicide in 2005 aged 67. 

Johnson previously told People of Thompson: ‘I loved him. I learned so much from him.

‘We met back in, believe it or not, in the Andy Warhol days when I was shooting my first movie in New York. We met because he was the crazy m****rf****r that came in with a pocket full of drugs, and our movie was about drugs. So I got to know him pretty well.

‘Lo and behold, he became my neighbor, literally my neighbor, like a quarter of a mile away at my ranch in Colorado. 

‘And for the next 25 years, if I was away and I had a sick animal or something like that, he’d come over and sleep in the stall with my animal and nurse them back to health.’

Depp also played Thompson’s creation in the 2011 movie adaptation of his book The Rum Diary. 

Johnson, 74, detailed how he had been journalist  Thompson's neighbor in Woody Creek, Colorado

Johnson, 74, detailed how he had been journalist  Thompson’s neighbor in Woody Creek, Colorado 

Johnson sent his ᴀssistant to pick up the weed, with the star saying: ' [He] drives up Hunter¿s driveway and Johnny Depp and Hunter were hiding behind Hunter¿s car with sH๏τguns loaded with blanks' - Depp pictured last month

Johnson sent his ᴀssistant to pick up the weed, with the star saying: ‘ [He] drives up Hunter’s driveway and Johnny Depp and Hunter were hiding behind Hunter’s car with sH๏τguns loaded with blanks’ – Depp pictured last month

Depp also played Thompson's creation in the 2011 movie adaptation of his book The Rum Diary - pictured 1997

Depp also played Thompson’s creation in the 2011 movie adaptation of his book The Rum Diary – pictured 1997

The Rum Diary is inspired by Thompson’s adventures after he moved to the Caribbean to write for the San Juan Star newspaper.

Thompson fatally sH๏τ himself in his office at his Colorado home on February 20 2005 at the age of 67.

His family said they believed he had thought out his suicide as a result of his chronic medical conditions.

In August that year, Depp contributed financially to ᴀssist Thompson’s family help the author realise his dying wish – to have his ashes fired out of a cannon.

Depp said: ‘ We had talked a couple of times about his last wishes to be sH๏τ out of a cannon of his own design.

‘All I’m doing is trying to make sure his last wish comes true. I just want to send my pal out the way he wants to go out.’

Thompson is known as one of the pioneers of ‘gonzo journalism’, which features the writer as an important part of the story.

He often portrayed himself as drunk or manic while reporting on political figures.

Related Posts

Kylie Kelce Sings With Husband Jason on Philly Specials Holiday Album

Kylie Kelce Sings With Husband Jason on Philly Specials Holiday Album

Jason Kelce pulled out all the stops for the third and final Philly Specials holiday album — including a duet with his wife, Kylie Kelce. Kylie, 32,…

All’s Well That Ends Well review: All’s well in the Globe’s delightful web of deceit, writes PATRICK MARMION

All’s Well That Ends Well review: All’s well in the Globe’s delightful web of deceit, writes PATRICK MARMION

All’s Well That Ends Well (Shakespeare’s Globe, London) Verdict: Delightful moral maze  All’s Well is the sort of Shakespeare that’s apt to cause moral panic among today’s…

Tina Fey towers over her ‘travel-size’ husband Jeff Richmond on rare outing at Broadway opening night for Death Becomes Her

Tina Fey towers over her ‘travel-size’ husband Jeff Richmond on rare outing at Broadway opening night for Death Becomes Her

Tina Fey enjoyed a Broadway date night with her husband Jeff Richmond during a rare outing together at Thursday’s opening night of Death Becomes Her. While on the red carpet…

Fans furious after huge Wicked spoiler revealed by Andy Cohen live on air before release

Fans furious after huge Wicked spoiler revealed by Andy Cohen live on air before release

Wicked fans were furious after a major spoiler was dropped live on air just one day before the highly anticipated release of the musical adaptation. On Thursday’s…

Cara Delevingne Says It Was a ‘Wild Ride’ Being Roommates With Taylor Swift

Cara Delevingne Says It Was a ‘Wild Ride’ Being Roommates With Taylor Swift

Cara Delevingne. (PH๏τo by Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty Images for Rihanna’s Savage X Fenty Show Vol. 4 presented by Prime Video) Cara Delevingne is opening up about what it…

Brianna Chickenfry reveals she FaceTimed with Zach Bryan’s ex-wife for ‘hours’

Brianna Chickenfry reveals she FaceTimed with Zach Bryan’s ex-wife for ‘hours’

Brianna ‘Chickenfry’ LaPaglia said she felt ‘validated’ after a heart-to-heart with Zach Bryan’s ex-wife Rose Madden, one month after Zach ‘blindsided’ her with their breakup announcement. During…