Learning From Johnny Depp's Financial Battle | Mel Gibson's Best Week Yet | Elton John's Gratitude For Late Graham Taylor – Legends Report

By Asif Valiji, Mentorship Coach, Lighthouse International 

Hollywood legend Johnny Depp is at the centre of an escalating public legal battle with his former financial managers, The Management Group (TMG), regarding the mismanagement of his wealth. Mr Depp had originally sued TMG for mismanagement of his finances, to which the defendants countersued Mr Depp claiming his lavish lifestyle and spending habits were the reason behind his financial ruin, not them. This involved highlighting the actor’s £1.6 million a month outgoings, including 14 homes and spending $30,000 a month on wine. According to a statement from Mr Depp released by his lawyer Adam Waldman;

“Mr Depp did not sue his former business managers for his own personal investment decisions or the ‘financial distress’ they wildly allege,” … but that the ex-management company have… “chosen to employ a reprehensible ‘blame the victim’ strategy in a transparent attempt to save their own skin and deflect away from their malfeasance”.

In response to this, TMG have stated:

“Johnny Depp alone was solely responsible for his extravagant spending. Over 17 years, The Management Group did everything possible to protect the actor from himself.”

What his situation highlights more than anything is how relationships in our lives will break down because of a lack of responsibility. Taking responsibility shows humility and maturity and, though we may need to swallow our pride in the short-term, we always gain in the long-term because of the trust and respect this builds with others.

If both sides resort to blaming the other, an escalating conflict of attack and counter attack ensues, with potentially ugly results. Who is genuinely responsible in this case isn’t clear, but it does clearly show that the more we avoid admitting our mistakes, the more costly, painful and embarrassing our lives can become. To read more about this click here…

Click to hear from renowned researcher Brené Brown why people resort to blaming others… 

Mel Gibson’s Tentative Return To Hollywood Culminates In His Best Week Yet

By Kris Deichler, Associate Partner & Mentorship Coach, Lighthouse International

How long should we hold someone’s past mistakes against them? Should our past errors and character flaws continue to define who we are today?

It’s been a little over 10 years now since actor and director Mel Gibson’s very public fall from grace, which burned almost all of his bridges in Hollywood and left him in the industry’s wilderness for most of a decade. So when his first film as a director since that time, Hacksaw Ridge, received a standing ovation at the Cannes Film Festival this year, it seemed Hollywood was finally willing to forgive.

This last week, as Vanity Fair reports, has seen his return to the Hollywood fold being greeted with open arms, following an Oscar nomination for Directing. It’s a nomination that’s been given to him ahead of Martin Scorsese and Denzel Washington and not long after having been shut out of the Director’s Guild of America nominations. His leading man for Hacksaw Ridge, Andrew Garfield, who has also been Oscar-nominated for Best Actor, said of Mr Gibson:

“I think I know Mel, in his heart, and I think he’s not the way he’s been characterised.” 

Along with his nomination this week has come more job offers, including a police drama with Vince Vaughn, a potential comedy with Will Ferrell and the birth of his son, Lars, making him a father for the ninth time and capping what Vanity Fair calls his ‘best week yet’. Though we might not ever fall from grace on the same public scale that Mr Gibson did, we can all make grave errors and go through dark times in our lives. We may also know people who have done seemingly un-rightable wrongs to us in the past too.

In watching Mr Gibson’s example, let us remember we all deserve and want redemption. Everyone has the capacity to change and there is light at the end of even the darkest of tunnels. Often our worst times can be the making of us, helping transform us into better, more humble and more responsible people, if we use them well.

No one can change the past, but we can all learn from it, as well as how to treat those seeking to make amends for their past. Read the full Vanity Fair article here…

Click to hear Robert Downey Jr. give a touching speech thanking Mel Gibson for helping him through his own dark times… 

Elton John’s Gratitude To Ex-England Manager Graham Taylor At His Funeral

By Jatinder Singh, Associate Partner & Mentorship Coach, Lighthouse International

The funeral of former Watford and England football team Manager, Graham Taylor, took place recently. Attended by 1500 people, a message from Elton John (who was the owner of Watford when Mr. Taylor was the manager) was read to the congregation. In this message, he spoke about the role Mr Taylor played in supporting him in getting off substance abuse.

“I have so many wonderful memories of Graham that I could write a whole book… He was without doubt like a brother. His lecture to me one day [on Elton’s problems with drugs] shook me to my core. He told me how foolish I was and how I was letting myself – and more importantly the club – down. As you can imagine, those words rang so true and I will never forget them… To love somebody you must be prepared, to be honest and open. And Graham was the most honest and open man I’ve ever met.”

Elton John makes such a valuable point about the candour Graham Taylor spoke to him with. It’s through such candour that trust is built because, hopefully, the other person understands how difficult challenging them about something can be. To truly help someone we may have to say things we know they won’t like, but need to hear. It means risking confrontation for their benefit, but it is also one of the most loving things someone can do, which the respect that Elton John feels for Mr Taylor shows. There are very few people willing to be this honest with one another. Be sure to look for those people… To read more about Mr Taylor’s funeral click here…

Graham Taylor – 1944 – 2017

Read why Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg believes hard conversations like these are essential for progress in our lives…

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