- Johnny Depp parents did not quite set a great example for their kids as they exposed them to violence and abandonment
- Despite the background the actor had, he still loved, appreciated, and even adored his parents
- Depp has no bad blood with his parents but he stated that his situation with his ex-wife, Amber Heard is similar to what he experienced with his parents.
Ever since the case between actors Johnny Depp and his ex-wife, Amber Heard started, a lot of things have been coming to bare. Not just information about his failed marriage though, interests in other family members have been raised. Some of these family members are Johnny Depp parents.
In the process of going back and forth, a case has been raised about Mr. Depp and his ex-wife, Betty Sue Palmer. These are the names of Johnny Depp’s parents. Revelations about who they are and their relationship with the Pirates of the Caribbean actor have been brought to the courtroom.
Johnny Depp Parents Moved a lot when he was a Child
John Christopher Depp II also known as Johnny Depp was born on the 9th of June 1963. His birthplace is Owensburg, Kentucky and he is the last child of 4 children. His father, John Depp was a civil engineer while Betty Sue, his mother, worked as a waitress.
However, Depp during interviews described his mother as a ‘restless’ woman who loved to move often. By the time he got to his teenage age, his family had moved about 40 times. Johnny even stated that one time, they moved out of their house to the next house.
As a result of the Depp family’s inability to be in a place for long, Johnny made no friends and was mostly the ‘new guy’. This applied to his siblings who faced the same fate he did.
On one of their moves, they had to live in a motel for about a year because they couldn’t afford to get an apartment. The Depps eventually were able to move into a house when Johnny’s dad got a job.
Depp’s Mother was Violent and an Abuser
In a 1997 interview with Hello! Magazine, the actor revealed that he witnessed his parents argue and fight a lot. He was still a child and could not understand what it was all about.
One thing he knows was that he never saw his father being violent with his mother. Despite Sue being physical and throwing things around, John Depp never retaliated. This made John a hero in his son’s book.
Detailing what he and his siblings encountered from his mother, the Private Resort actor explained that it ranged from physical to mental and emotional abuse. Further clarifying, Depp said his mother had flung an ashtray at them before.
Also, she would hit them with the heels of her shoes and whatever she could lay her hands on.
On the emotional front, Sue was wont to call her daughter Christi Dembrowski her grandmother’s name. This was so because Betty despised their grandmother and so carried it forth to her daughter. Dembrowski gave her testimony about this to the court.
With Johnny, Betty Sue called him ‘cock eye’ or ‘one eye’. The actor had a defect in his left eye which resulted in him having a lazy eye. This defect, Johnny’s mother used to poke fun at him. Betty Sue Palmer, according to the testimonies from her kids, was always ready to dish out one form of abuse or the other.
Her kids learned to avoid her and would always shield themselves from her whenever she walked past them. This was to avoid being hit by her or getting her worked up enough to start hurling insults at them.
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John Depp Left his Wife and kids when Johnny was 15 Years Old
The West of Memphis actor’s parents got separated in 1978. The separation did not come in form of a divorce, though. On the contrary, Depp just packed his bags and left the house and kids.
Neither Palmer nor the children knew this had happened till Betty came back from work. According to Johnny, as soon as his mother walked into the house, she felt something was off. She knew her husband was not in the house and she confirmed when she noticed his clothes missing from the closet.
This separation took a toll on Betty Sue who even tried to commit suicide. The actor recants walking in on his mother’s almost lifeless body during that period. Upon the response of the paramedics and taking her to the hospital, it was said that an overdose of drugs was pumped out of Sue’s system.
She recovered and returned to the house but became a shadow of herself. Palmer began to just lay on the couch, gaining weight and sulking.
The youngest of Depp’s 4 children however traced Betty’s husband to his place of work. Upon finding him, Johnny demanded an explanation for the abandonment and in response, Depp said he just couldn’t continue to live that way.
John Depp told his son that he couldn’t continue to live that life as it was unbearable. He bestowed the headship of the household to the young Depp who wasn’t ready for the responsibility.
Betty Sue Palmer had a Health Issue
Betty was born in Appalachia, East Kentucky, and grew up in a very poor background. She lived in a shack that had a toilet outside. She suffered seizures from the age of 12 and had to be put on medication from then.
Johnny’s mother was on phenobarbital prescription drugs from then. The drugs were to ease her seizures and calm her nerves. As a teenager, the young Depp began to abuse his mother’s nerve control pills because he wanted to escape the world around him through numbness.
Johnny Depp’s Experiences affected him negatively
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Betty’s son battled some other addictions apart from the nerve control pills. He admitted that he began to use drugs a lot and at the age of 14, had tried out all the types of hard drugs available. Johnny started locking himself up in his room and would not come out to associate. He also lost his virginity at the age of 13 and by 16, the actor dropped out of school.
Johnny then got interested in music and formed a band known as ‘The Kids’. His mother bought him a guitar at the age of 12 and this helped his musical interest. The band was lucky to open shows for a few top bands and performed at some notable events. However, the young musician was not in a good place and so he couldn’t manage himself.
The musician cum actor then moved to Los Angeles at the age of 20 with his band. Here, his ex-wife introduced him to Nicolas Cage who advised him to become an actor. Cage hooked Depp up with his agent who helped him get his first acting role in Nightmare on Elm Street.
From there, Johnny’s acting career began an upward push. He still sings and plays the guitar occasionally too.
READ MORE: 9 Best Pirates Of The Caribbean Characters
Despite the Tumult in their Family, Johnny Depp parents were always there for him
Even with the insults and abuses the family went through, they still maintained a close relationship. Johnny’s sister during her testimony stated that with age, their mom became less violent.
The 21 Jump Street star has been pictured sharing his spotlight on the red carpet of award shows and premiers with his parents. He said that despite what he went through with his mother and his father absconding at a very tender age, he still loves them.
In fact, Johnny adores his mother and testified that when she comes home from double shifts, he used to massage her feet. The actor also has a tattoo of a heart with his mother’s name across which he got in May 1988.
Johnny, showing how much he loved his mother, bought Betty Palmer a house when he became an actor. He also bought her a horse farm close to Lexington, Kentucky. The actor said he has no bad blood with his parents because he believes that they did what they could in raising them.
One of Johnny Depp Parents is Dead
Johnny Depp has been unfortunate to bury one of his parents. In 2016, just a few days after the ‘Aquaman’ actor, Amber Heard filed for divorce, Betty Sue Palmer died. The mother of 4 battled with a long illness but lost the fight on May 20, 2016.
Prior to her death, Sue was in the respiratory Intensive Care Unit of the Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, LA. Johnny and his two kids had the honor of visiting her and whispering words into her ear a few hours before she died.
Betty Sue Palmer, John Depp’s ex-wife, and the Dark Shadows star’s mother died at the age of 81.
Her death however opened her son’s eyes to the type of relationship he lived with his ex-wife. John Christopher II stated that he realized that he had to cut off ties with Amber at the time.
Johnny stated that he realized that he married his own mother and that Betty Sue Palmer and Amber Heard shared a similarity.
