‘My mother showed me what not to do’: Johnny Depp on childhood trauma and fatherhood

Hollywood actor Johnny Depp recently opened up about the trauma he experienced during his childhood and how it shaped his life and approach to parenting. In a candid interview with The Telegraph, the "Pirates of the Caribbean" star revisited memories of his late mother, Betty Sue Palmer, describing her as physically and emotionally abusive.

Depp, who has two children—Lily-Rose (26) and Jack (23)—with former partner Vanessa Paradis, expressed that his mother taught him, in her own way, how not to be a parent. Recalling painful episodes, the actor said, "She beat me with a stick, a shoe, an ashtray, a phone—it didn't matter." He added that while the physical wounds eventually healed, the psychological scars remain.

He also shared that his father would remain calm and silent during such episodes of violence, enduring the abuse without retaliation. Depp's sister, Christi Dembrowski, echoed his sentiments in previous court testimonies, saying their childhood home was marked by turmoil and aggression. 

According to her, the siblings made a quiet promise never to repeat the same behaviour once they had families of their own.

The actor reflected fondly on the years spent raising his children in France, away from the glare of Hollywood. Speaking in an earlier interview with The Sunday Times, he said, "The first time I felt I truly had a home was in the south of France, where Vanessa and I raised the kids." He noted that while he once relished being called "Papa," the dynamic shifted after his separation from Paradis in 2012.

Depp, who was asked to resign from "Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore" during his legal dispute with ex-wife Amber Heard, recalled the moment as abrupt. 

"It literally stopped in a millisecond… they said we'd like you to resign. But really, it felt like they wanted me to retire," he said. The actor added defiantly, "F*** you. There's far too many of me to kill."

Depp and Heard were embroiled in a high-profile legal battle, stemming from an op-ed written by Heard in which she spoke about being a survivor of domestic abuse—without naming Depp directly. The actor has maintained his innocence and stated, "I thought, 'I'll fight until the bitter f***ing end.' And if I end up pumping gas? That's all right. I've done that before."