Meet Johnny Depp's Two Kids
Everyone knows the name Johnny Depp — whether you've been a fan of his movies since his "Edward Scissorhands" days, or you've been following the Amber Heard scandal like a hawk.
He's a Golden Globe-winning actor and a philanthropist, but also a proud father. Depp has two children with his ex-partner of 14 years, French model and musician Vanessa Paradis, and it seems "father" is his favorite title of all. "I could sit there all day and do nothing but watch them grow," Depp gushed to Psychologies Magazine in 2008 (via People). "I'm totally inspired by them."
You may be familiar with his daughter, Lily-Rose Depp, the latest it-girl who's been making waves in both the modeling and acting world. His son, Jack Depp, is less well known, as he prefers to live a more low-key lifestyle. Either way, we've rounded up everything you need to know about Johnny Depp's children.
Johnny Depp's first daughter Lily-Rose changed his life
Lily-Rose Depp is the oldest of the Depp children, born May 27, 1999, in Neuilly-sur-Seine, France. Johnny Depp gushed about the arrival of his daughter at the time, telling Charlie Rose, "Since May 27th when my daughter was born, I have been floating. I smile constantly, which I never did before."
Depp struggled to put his feelings into words during this interview. He added, "Everybody tells you their experience ... but you can't imagine until it actually happens, when you see this little angel arrive."
In an interview with The Daily Mail, he likened her birthday to the biggest event of his life and the day his own life really began. He said: "I helped give our daughter life, and I feel she gave me life. Suddenly, you meet your reason to live, meet the future. It was like my birth in a way. I was born that day."
Johnny Depp's son Jack was named after one of his iconic roles
Johnny Depp welcomed his second child with Vanessa Paradis on April 9, 2002 — a boy named Johnny Christopher "Jack" Depp III, also born in Neuilly-sur-Seine, France.
Unlike his older sister, Jack is not pursuing a career in Hollywood and lives his life quite privately. However, when rare photos of him were released in 2020, it became clear he's taking after his father — and not just physically. "He has my instincts, my boy, and he's crashed about five golf carts," Depp joked on "Jimmy Kimmel Live" in 2017 when asked about why he wouldn't be teaching his son to drive.
Jack's nickname is a tribute to Captain Jack Sparrow, the iconic character played by Depp in the "Pirates of the Caribbean" franchise. Depp has a tattoo of a sparrow with his son's name on his right forearm. The ink closely resembles the tattoo displayed by Captain Jack Sparrow in the movies, with the only difference being the direction the bird is flying.
Johnny Depp's kids were shielded from the Hollywood spotlight
Johnny Depp and Vanessa Paradis made a decision early on to shield their children from the Hollywood spotlight. In a 2007 interview with Belgian publication "Weekend Knack," Paradis explained their desire to keep their children out of the public eye. "I indeed keep them away from the cameras, because I don't want our children to be forced to share in our fame against their will," Paradis said (via People). She added, "The day that they will decide for themselves to do things that might bring them into the spotlights, then I won't stop them."
When Lily-Rose and Jack were growing up, the family spent their time split between Los Angeles and France. "In the south of France you can live much more anonymously. And that's a bliss, especially when the children are still young," Paradis said.
In a 2023 interview with Entertainment Weekly, Lily-Rose discussed her upbringing, applauding her parents for giving her and her brother the most privacy they could, given the circumstances. "My parents definitely did their best to give my brother and I the most 'normal' childhood that we could have," she said. "Obviously, still not totally normal, but a sense of normalcy at least, and a sense of childhood and freedom and play and everything."
Lily-Rose and Jack Depp are bilingual
With a French mother and American father, and raised in both the United States and France, it's no surprise that the Depp kids are bilingual.
In a conversation in Interview Magazine in 2021, Lily-Rose Depp explained how she and her brother Jack Depp use French like a secret language. "When my brother and I were at the same school, whenever we wanted to say something that was going to stay just between us, we could say it in French and nobody would understand," she said.
Lily-Rose also explained that she identifies with both cultures equally. "I speak exclusively French with my French family, and exclusively English with my American family. So I feel very at home in both of them," she said. At another point, when asked if she has different personalities in each language, she said, "I don't know if I feel like I have different personalities. But I think that I'm able to tap into a more American sense of humor than a French sense of humor, depending on where I'm at." She also explained that she's been told her voice sounds deeper when she speaks English.
Lily-Rose and Jack Depp are best friends
Limelight-loving Lily-Rose Depp and low-profile Jack Depp may be very different, but the siblings have a very close relationship. During a conversation published in Interview Magazine, she spoke about their bond, saying, "My brother and I are three years apart, so there were moments where we overlapped at the same school. Not that he wanted anything to do with me. He was like, 'Don't even come talk to me with your friends.' And I was like, 'You don't want the cool older girls to come talk to you? What's wrong with you?' But we're best buds now."
For Jack's 18th birthday, Lily-Rose posted a sweet tribute for her baby brother on Instagram. She captioned the photos: "My little baby Jackie is 18. My baby bro, my heart and soul, happy birthday. I love you so much!" The first image showcased a series of black-and-white photos of them as young children, hugging and pulling faces. The second image depicted Jack all grown up, sunbathing shirtless in a chair, also pulling a face.
Jack is apparently supportive of his older sister's career, as he was spotted attending Lily's Chanel fashion show at Paris Fashion Week back in 2015. The duo also appeared in a movie together, the 2016 horror film "Yoga Hosers."
Lily-Rose Depp is a talented actor
When your father is the renowned Oscar-nominated Johnny Depp, a career in acting seems written in the stars. "I wanted to be a singer, but once I started acting, I felt so comfortable. Now all I want to do is act," Lily-Rose Depp told Harper's Bazaar.
Lily-Rose had a brief cameo in the 2014 horror film "Tusk," followed by a starring role in the 2016 indie horror movie "Yoga Hosers." Since then, she's put her bilingual skills to good use and starred in both French and English films like "The Dancer," "Planetarium," and "Voyagers." She was nominated for a César Award for her role in the 2018 French film "A Faithful Man," and in 2019 she appeared alongside Timothée Chalamet in the epic historical film "The King."
Lily-Rose's biggest role to date is that of Jocelyn, a rising pop star in HBO's dark drama "The Idol," created by The Weeknd and "Euphoria" showrunner Sam Levinson. There's been a lot of drama surrounding the controversial series, with outlets like Rolling Stone likening it to "torture porn" and rumors flying about its toxic set environment. Lily-Rose defended the series and its creator amid the negativity. "Never have I felt more supported or respected in a creative space, my input and opinions more valued," she said in a statement (via E! News). Controversy aside, the series demonstrates Lily-Rose's raw talent in both singing and acting — it's obvious she takes after both parents.
Lily-Rose Depp is a successful model
Lily-Rose Depp is the spitting image of her mother, French model and singer Vanessa Paradis, and she's putting those genes to good work. She simultaneously embodies the aesthetics of "French cool girl" and "all-American beauty," and her versatility has made her the latest it-girl. The rising model already has an impressive resume under her belt, having graced the covers of prestigious magazines like Elle, Vanity Fair Paris, W Magazine, i-D, and Love Magazine.
In 2015, Lily-Rose Depp became the youngest-ever ambassador for a Chanel eyewear collection. The same year, she became the face of their new millennial-targeted fragrance, Chanel No. 5 L'Eau. Her runway debut was for Chanel's Metiers d'Arts show in Paris at 17 years old, and she's since become a regular model for the French fashion house, walking in the 2022/23 Cruise show and closing two major Chanel shows as a featured model.
She's following in the footsteps of her mother, who was a Chanel model back in the '90s. "I would try on all of her dresses and shoes, even though I was in diapers at the time," she told The Sun in 2019. "There's actually a picture of me in a diaper wearing Chanel pumps." Lily-Rose hit back at the label "nepo baby," a term coined for young stars born to famous parents. She told Elle: "Maybe you get your foot in the door, but you still just have your foot in the door. There's a lot of work that comes after that."
Lily-Rose Depp refuses to label her sexuality
Lily-Rose Depp has a star-studded relationship history — she's been linked to British model Ash Stymest, actor Austin Butler, and French rapper Yassine Stein. Oh, and who can forget those pictures from her steamy make-out session on a yacht with Timothée Chalamet, whom she dated for around a year and a half?
However, the only relationship she's ever publicly confirmed is with a woman — American rapper 070 Shake, whose real name is Danielle Balbuena. In March 2023, Lily-Rose posted a picture to her Instagram story of the duo kissing, writing, "4 months with my crush" (via E! News).
Despite dating both men and women, Lily-Rose refuses to label her sexuality. After appearing in The Self Evident Truths project, a campaign about not identifying as straight, she spoke to Nylon magazine to clarify the speculation: "A lot of people took it as me coming out, but that's not what I was trying to do. I was literally doing it just to say that you don't have to label your sexuality; so many kids these days are not labeling their sexuality and I think that's so cool. ... If you like something one day then you do, and if you like something else the other day, it's whatever. You don't have to label yourself, because it's not set in stone. It's so fluid."
Jack Depp is artistic
Unlike the rest of his famous family, Jack Depp keeps a low profile and doesn't have any publicly known social media accounts. While he hasn't shown an interest in a career in Hollywood, that doesn't mean he hasn't inherited an artistic streak from his parents.
"My boy Jack has always been a very talented draftsman," Depp told The Philippine Daily Inquirer in 2014. "He draws really super-well. He also plays music very well. He's got a good feel for that. Aside from school plays and things, he hasn't shown any desire to become an actor." Jack had a minor role in the 2016 film "Yoga Hosers," which stars his father and sister, but that seems to be his only foray into acting — so far.
He also started his own band. In an interview with Rolling Stone, Depp said the proudest moment of his life was when he found out the name of his son's band. "The kid says 'Clown Boner,' " Depp told the magazine. "We don't need a paternity test. That's my kid."
Jack Depp dated French model and singer Camille Jansen
Like father, like son! Jack Depp also seems to have inherited his father's taste in women — talented French artists.
In August 2020, he was photographed on a day out in the U.K. with French model and musician Camille Jansen. While neither Jack nor Camille have ever publicly confirmed the relationship, a certain Instagram post gave us all the proof we need. For Jack's 18th birthday, Camille posted a loved-up picture on Instagram with the caption, "Happy birthday, my love." In the picture, Jack is wearing a bucket hat and lying in Camille's arms, which are wrapped around his neck.
Camille hasn't posted anything since, so it's unclear whether the two are still together. Both she and Lily-Rose still follow each other on Instagram, so it's safe to assume either they're still together, or the relationship ended amicably. Camille has posed for brands like Giorgio Armani, and as of October 2023, she has nearly 200,000 monthly listeners on Spotify.
Both of his kids had health scares
A sick child is every parent's worst nightmare, and Johnny Depp has had close calls with both of his children. In 2007, when Lily-Rose Depp was 7 years old, she almost died of kidney failure. After getting E. coli food poisoning, she spent nine days in a London hospital, with a source telling The Daily Mail her condition was "touch and go." The family was living in London while Depp filmed the movie "Sweeney Todd," and it was reported that he refused to leave Lily-Rose's side and return to filming until she was better.
In 2015, Depp discussed his daughter's illness on "The Graham Norton Show," saying, "I've spent time in Great Ormond Street ... when my daughter was ill. I've known darkness in my life, but that was the darkest period ever." Depp ended up donating $2 million to the hospital that treated his daughter and returned dressed as Captain Jack Sparrow to read to the sick children.
Not much is known about Jack Depp's illness, but it all started when Vanessa Paradis was notably absent from the premiere of her new film, "Knife+Heart." The director Yann Gonzalez explained why, saying: "Unfortunately, Vanessa Paradis was not able to join us tonight. She had to be absent because of her son's serious health problems" (via The Daily Mail). A source later revealed that Jack was "looking a lot better."
Lily-Rose Depp defended her father amid the Amber Hear allegations
In the wake of Amber Heard's abuse allegations against Johnny Depp, Lily-Rose Depp took to Instagram to defend her father. In a since-deleted post, Lily-Rose shared photos of her with her father, writing: "My dad is the sweetest most loving person I know. He's been nothing but a wonderful father to my little brother and I, and everyone who knows him would say the same" (via Variety).
While she did not comment on the allegations specifically, it's clear her intention was to defend his character amid all the negativity.
The defamation trial between Heard and Depp has been filled with some unforgettable moments. In an interview with Elle, Lily-Rose explained why she hasn't publicly commented on it. "When it's something that's so private and so personal that all of a sudden becomes not so personal ... I feel really entitled to my secret garden of thoughts," she said. "I also think that I'm not here to answer for anybody."