Early life
1960s–1970s
Depp was born in Owensboro, Kentucky in 1963, as the youngest of four children of Betty Sue Palmer (nee Wells), a waitress, and John Christopher Depp, a civil engineer. Depp moved frequently during his childhood, and he and his siblings lived in more than 20 different locations, settling in Miramar, Florida, in 1970. In 1978, when he was 15, Depp's parents divorced. His mother married, as her second husband, Robert Palmer (died 2000), whom Depp has called "an inspiration to me".Depp engaged in self-harm when he was young, due to the stress of dealing with family problems, which resulted in several self-inflicted scars. In a 1993 interview, he reflected on his self-injury by saying "My body is a journal in a way. It's like what sailors used to do, where every tattoo meant something, a specific time in your life when you make a mark on yourself, whether you do it yourself with a knife or with a professional tattoo artist".1980s
With the gift of a guitar from his mother when he was 12, Depp began playing in various garage bands. A year after his parents' divorce, Depp dropped out of high school to become a rock musician. He attempted to go back to school two weeks later, but the principal told him to follow his dream of being a musician. He played with The Kids, a band that enjoyed modest local success. The Kids set out together for Los Angeles in pursuit of a record deal, changing their name to Six Gun Method, but the group split up before signing a record deal. Depp subsequently collaborated with the band Rock City Angels and co-wrote their song "Mary", which appeared on Rock City Angels' debut for Geffen Records titled Young Man's Blues.On December 24, 1983, Depp married Lori Anne Allison, the sister of his band's bass player and singer. During Depp's marriage, his wife worked as a makeup artist, while he worked a variety of odd jobs, including a telemarketer for pens. His wife introduced him to actor Nicolas Cage, who advised Depp to pursue an acting career. Depp and his wife divorced in 1985. Both Depp and his subsequent fiancé Sherilyn Fenn auditioned for the 1986 film Thrashin' and they were both cast, with Depp being chosen by the film's director to star as the lead, which would have been Depp's second major role. Depp was later turned down by the film's producer, who rejected the director's decision.
Personal life
Family and relationships
Depp has two children with Paradis: daughter Lily-Rose Melody Depp (born 1999), and son John "Jack" Christopher Depp III (born 2002). In 2007, Depp's daughter recovered from a serious illness, an E. coli infection that began to cause her kidneys to shut down and resulted in an extended hospital stay. To thank Great Ormond Street Hospital, Depp visited the hospital in November 2007, dressed in his Captain Jack Sparrow outfit, and spent four hours reading stories to the children. In 2008 he donated £1 million (about $2 million) to the hospital.
Although Depp has not remarried, he has stated that having children has given him "real foundation, a real strong place to stand in life, in work, in everything." "You can't plan the kind of deep love that results in children. Fatherhood was not a conscious decision. It was part of the wonderful ride I was on. It was destiny. All the math finally worked." Depp acquired a vineyard estate in the Plan-de-la-Tour area in 2007. Several reports indicated Depp bought Burnham Westgate Hall in Norfolk, England, a 13-bedroom Georgian country house, in June 2011.
Legal issues
Depp was arrested in 1999 for brawling with paparazzi outside a restaurant while dining in London with Paradis.In 2012, Depp was sued alongside three security firms by disabled UC Irvine medical professor Robin Eckert, who claimed to have been attacked by his bodyguards at a concert in Los Angeles in 2011. Eckert suffered injuries including a dislocated elbow in the attack, during which she was allegedly hand-cuffed and dragged 40 feet across the floor. She argued in court that as the security guards' direct manager, Depp failed to intervene, even though he did not actively take part in the battery. In October 2012, it was decided that Eckert could seek compensation and punitive damages from Depp, with a trial date set for August 12, 2013.
Religion
On October 16, 2011 episode of Larry King Live, when asked by Larry King if he had faith, Depp replied, "Yes. I have faith in my kids. And I have—I have faith, you know, that as long as you keep moving forward, just keep walking forward, things will be all right, I suppose, you know. Faith in terms of religion, I don't—religion is not my specialty, you know."Tattoos
Depp has around 13 tattoos, many of them signifying important persons or events in his life. They include a Native American in profile and a ribbon reading "Wino Forever" (originally "Winona Forever", altered after his breakup with Winona Ryder) on his right biceps, "Lily-Rose" (his daughter's name) over his heart, "Betty Sue" (his mother's name) on his left biceps, and a sparrow flying over water with the word "Jack" (his son's name; the sparrow is flying towards him rather than away from him as it is in Pirates of the Caribbean) on his right forearm.Controversy
Comments on U.S.
In 2003, Depp told Germany's Stern magazine, "America is dumb, is something like a dumb puppy that has big teeth—that can bite and hurt you, aggressive." Although he later asserted that the magazine misquoted him and the quotation was taken out of context, Stern stood by its story, as did CNN.com in its coverage of the interview. CNN added his remark that he would like his children "to see America as a toy, a broken toy. Investigate it a little, check it out, get this feeling and then get out." The July 17, 2006 edition of Newsweek reprinted the "dumb puppy" quotation, verbatim, in the context of a Letter to the Magazine. Depp has also disagreed with subsequent media reports that perceived him as a "European wannabe", saying that he likes the anonymity of living in France and his simpler life there.In 2011, Depp became a U.S. resident again, because France wanted him to become a permanent resident, which he said would require him to pay income tax in both countries.
Claims of Native American ancestry and Comanche adoption
In a 2002 interview, Depp stated that he believed he has Native American ancestry; in 2011, he specified, "I guess I have some Native American somewhere down the line. My great-grandmother was quite a bit of Native American, she grew up Cherokee or maybe Creek Indian. Makes sense in terms of coming from Kentucky, which is rife with Cherokee and Creek."[106] He has also stated that he "apparently" has Native American ancestry, and that "There are so many different things you're told [growing up] in Kentucky" [about his heritage]. His Native ancestry came under question when Indian Country Today Media Network stated that Depp has never inquired about his heritage nor does the Cherokee Nation recognize him as a member.Depp was adopted as an honorary son by LaDonna Harris, a member of the Comanche Nation, on May 22, 2012, making him an honorary member of Harris' family, but not an enrolled member of the Nation. Harris, president of Americans for Indian Opportunity, invited him to join her family after hearing he would be portraying the role of Tonto as a Comanche in the 2013 feature film The Lone Ranger. The ceremony took place at Harris’ home; Comanche Nation Tribal Administrator Johnny Wauqua was in attendance. Depp was presented with gifts by the family, which he then presented to the attendees, as per tradition. In 2013, Indian Country Today Media Network questioned whether "Tonto's Giant Nuts" (credited in the 2003 movie Once Upon a Time in Mexico), the name of Johnny Depp's band, was a wise choice given the actor's role as Tonto. Critical response from the Native community also included satirical portrayals of Depp by leading Native comedians.
Controversy arose over both the adoption and Depp's portrayal of a Native American character, as Depp was not raised in, nor has confirmable ancestry from, a Native American community, though he has said he 'guesses' he may have some distant Cherokee or Creek ancestry.
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