The Tragic Real-Life Story Of Johnny Depp

We’ve learned a lot about Johnny Depp and Amber Heard’s broken marriage since their divorce began in 2016. But the defamation case, which Depp initiated in 2019, has also provided us plenty of information about Depp’s tragic childhood. Born on June 9, 1963, in Owensboro, Kentucky, John Christopher Depp II (Johnny Depp) was the youngest of four children born to Betty Sue Palmer and John Christopher Depp, per Danny White’s “Johnny Depp: The Unauthorized Biography.” Throughout his childhood, his mother’s abuse proved constant, unpredictable, violent, and cruel.

He later remarked about these formative years, “I felt completely and utterly confused by everything that was going on around me” (via “Johnny Depp: The Unauthorized Biography“). On the witness stand, he explained that his childhood lacked both safety and security, per Law & Crime Network. He said his mother excelled at physical and verbal abuse with lots of bullying and name calling. She proved especially good at lobbing cruel, personal attacks against her children, mocking them for various perceived physical defects.

For example, Depp’s brother wore glasses, and so his mother referred to him as “four eyes.” As for Depp, he had a rare congenital eye defect, which translated into a lazy eye and having to wear a patch, as reported by Law & Crime Network. So, his mother created a list of mean taunts for him, too, including “cock eye,” “one eye,” and anything else she could muster to steep him in shame.

If you or someone you know may be the victim of child abuse, please contact the Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-4-A-Child (1-800-422-4453) or contact their live chat services.