Johnny Depp’s mom bought him his first guitar at age 12 and his dad has played significant roles in his career. Let’s meet his parent; mother and father.
Actor and musician Johnny Depp made his acting debut in 1984’s A Nightmare on Elm Street. Shortly after, he became a teen idol thanks to his role on 21 Jump Street, and throughout the 90s he was known for his independent movies such as Edward Scissorhands, What’s Eating Gilbert Grape?, and Sleepy Hollow.
In 2003, Johnny was cast as Captain Jack Sparrow in the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise, making him one of the most successful actors in the 00s. He also had a successful collaboration with Tim Burton, appearing in Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, Sweeney Todd, and Alice in Wonderland, among other Burton films.
In 2012, he was named the highest-paid actor, making $75 million. However, Johnny’s career hit a setback following his divorce from Amber Heard in 2016, when she accused the actor of domestic violence. He was fired from the third installment of Fantastic Beasts due to the allegations. In 2019, Johnny sued Amber in a $50 million lawsuit for defamation and sued the British tabloid The Sun in a related libel case.
Johnny is the father of two kids, Lily-Rose Depp and Jack Depp, with ex-girlfriend Vanessa Paradis (1998-2012).
But, what is known about Johnny Depp’s parents? Below are everything to know about them.
Who are Johnny Depp’s parents?
Johnny Depp was born on June 9, 1963, in Owensboro, Kentucky, United States to parents John Christopher Depp and Betty Sue Palmer.
His mother, Betty, was a waitress while his father, John, was civil engineer.
Depp is of primarily English descent, with some French, German, and Irish ancestry.
His family moved frequently during his childhood, eventually settling in Miramar, Florida, in 1970.
His real name is John Christopher Depp II and his surname comes from a French Huguenot immigrant, Pierre Dieppe, who settled in Virginia around 1700.
In interviews in 2002 and 2011, Depp claimed to have Native American ancestry, saying: “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 Indian”.
Depp’s claims came under scrutiny when Indian Country Today wrote that Depp had never inquired about his heritage or been recognized as a member of the Cherokee Nation. This led to criticism of Depp by the Native American community, as Depp has no documented Native ancestry, and Native community leaders consider him “a non-Indian” and a pretendian.
Depp’s mother gave him a guitar when he was 12, and he began playing in various bands. He dropped out of Miramar High School at 16 in 1979 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
Unfortunately, his parents divorced in 1978 when he was 15, and his mother later married Robert Palmer, whom Depp has called “an inspiration”.
To his parents, he was an only child however, when separated, they both made other children from different relationships – giving Johnny siblings.
Johnny has three older siblings: a brother named Daniel Depp, and two sisters named Debbie Depp and Christi Dembrowski. Johnny is the youngest of his siblings.
SOURCE: GETTY IMAGES
Who was Johnny Depp’s mom?
Johnny’s mother, Betty Sue Palmer, passed away in 2016. The two were said to have a close relationship.
But according to People, during Johnny and Amber’s trial, Christi discussed the abusive household she, Johnny, and their other two siblings grew up in. They were dealing with a mother who would hit them and throw things. She said she and Johnny made a pact to avoid repeating anything they experienced in their childhood‘s once they became adults. However, Christi said that their mother “softened” as she got older.
Per News 24, Johnny was abandoned by his mother and left to figure out how to support himself at the age of 15. He hadn’t broken into the movie industry just yet, so he paid his bills working part-time hours as a telemarketer. Johnny dropped out of high school to focus on a potential blossoming music career, but unfortunately got caught up with drug use pretty early on.
Johnny would go on to tell Rolling Stone in 2013: “My mother was raised in a shack, in the wilds of Appalachia, where the toilet was an outhouse. She used to say she did the same things that her mom did – and her mom certainly didn’t know any better.”