Johnny Depp came shockingly close to losing two of his many lavish homes after they faced foreclosure, but he has managed to save them just in time by taking out a $10 million (£7.7m) home loan, DailyMail.com reports. Depp avoided losing the properties after City National Bank – known as the 'bank to the stars' – granted him the mortgage on his incredible West Hollywood castle. The Pirates of the Caribbean actor was granted the loan back in March 2022, after reportedly spending much of his estimated $650 million (£504m) fortune on litigation with his ex-wife, actress Amber Heard. Click or scroll through and let's find out more...
Depp owns at least two properties in a tucked-away area of West Hollywood, one of which – a smaller, yet by no means unimpressive house next to his castle – faced foreclosure in 2016 as Depp owed $4.3 million (£3.3m) on the property. Records now show that the controversial star owns the full property title after the debt was paid, according to The New York Post.
Meanwhile, in 2018, Depp's enormous gothic-style castle went into $5 million (£3.8m) default. Depp's star has been tarnished due to accusations made by Heard that he had been verbally and physically abusive throughout their relationship. Depp denied the claims and a settlement was reached, but two subsequent defamation lawsuits followed, exposing scandalous details about the couple's tumultuous life together. As a result, the 60-year-old actor's earning power took a nosedive.
In a role befitting his fantastical home, Depp had twice played Gellert Grindelwald in the lucrative Fantastic Beasts film franchise before he was reportedly "asked to resign," after he lost a UK libel case over an article that claimed he had abused Heard. During the second libel trial, this time brought by Depp against Heard, Depp claimed he had also been dropped from the lucrative Pirates of the Caribbean franchise, for which he would have received a $22.5 million (£17.5m) fee. After allegedly losing out on that much cash, it's hardly surprising the star's home is looking a little tatty.
The performer bought the castle back in 1995 for just shy of $2.2 million (£1.7m), which would be about $4.3 million or £3.3 million today. The 7,430-square-foot home has eight bedrooms, as well as a swimming pool and pond. However, the compound is now so overgrown, it's almost impossible to see the landscaped grounds.
The Sleepy Hollow actor has largely abandoned his spooky-looking home and, as a result, it's looking decidedly unloved. Instead of spending his downtime at his extravagant WeHo home, Depp's been relaxing at his home in the Bahamas, according to Chris White for DailyMail.com.
This strange addition to the property appears to be a miniature castle, which would look more at home on a Pirates of the Caribbean set than here at the foot of the Hollywood Hills. The canvas awnings covering two of the crenelated towers appear to have ripped, no doubt worn and torn over time by the extremes in weather that Los Angeles can experience. The whimsical addition may have been added for Depp's two children, Lily-Rose and Jack, when they were much younger.
Depp is said to own as many as three further homes in the immediate vicinity. Although Depp's West Hollywood neighbours rarely see him, they're reportedly disturbed by the tour buses full of fans that drive up the narrow street. “We were getting these vans with open tops and the people are talking, and cheering and yelling, and it’s been annoying,” one resident told The New York Post.
The sprawling property is very close to the Sunset strip, where Depp used to own the notorious Viper Room club, at which actor River Phoenix died in 1993. As reported by The New York Post, the gothic home's kitchen was the scene of an outburst by Depp in which he swore as he kicked, banged and slammed kitchen cabinets. Amber Heard secretly filmed the episode and the recording was used as evidence in the defamation trial against her.
When we look back at this photo taken in August 1996, just a year after Depp bought the Normandy castle replica, we can see how bad the deterioration has become. The building itself seemed to be in pristine condition, with nearly manicured grounds and a clean, azure-blue pool sparkling among the trees.
Prior to Depp picking up the property, the imposing home had a number of illustrious inhabitants, including a 1940s burlesque dancer and Noah Dietrich, right-hand man of Howard Hughes, the eccentric business mogul, pilot and 1950s film producer. In the 1980s, the castle was owned by flamboyant divorce lawyer Marvin Mitchelson (pictured here in 1989 with his wife Marcella), whose arrest for felony tax fraud, 30-month prison sentence and subsequent bankruptcy enabled Depp to buy it in 1995.
The fabled house has an incredible history, kicking off in 1932 when a Mississippi heiress hired 100 workers and built herself a three-storey castle. As the Great Depression dragged on, Hersee Moody Carson spent $500,000 ($11.1m / £8.5m today) on the building that would see her dubbed the "fairy lady." The original home, then known as Mount Kalmia, contained 16 rooms, including nine bathrooms, 125 stained and leaded glass windows and a chimney (despite the fact there was no fireplace).
For a time it was also believed the rocker had bought a home in the picturesque Somerset village of Kingston St. Mary. However, according to DailyMail.com, it was actually Hadspen House, which was later transformed into The Newt in Somerset hotel (pictured) that Johnny Depp was interested in. He was outbid in 2013 by South African-born tycoon Koos Bekker and his wife Karen Roos, a former editor of Elle Decoration South Africa. He was said to have been fascinated by the county's ancient history and ley-lines.
The actor and musician is currently touring Europe with his band, Hollywood Vampires. In July, he caused ripples in Swansea, Wales when he visited the birthplace of Dylan Thomas. The owners of the humble cottage said Depp was "warm and generous with his enthusiasm" for the Under Milk Wood writer and "dumbfounded" to walk where he had once lived. Depp was in the Welsh city for a gig. The hard rock group was founded in 2012 by Depp, alongside Alice Cooper and Aerosmith lead guitarist, Joe Perry. Interestingly, Depp's castle home was once (falsely) rumoured to have been the home of Dracula actor Bela Lugosi. Perhaps this inspired the name of his band?
Meanwhile, the actor's ex-wife Amber Heard is reportedly living on the Spanish island of Mallorca, with her young daughter, Oonagh, who was born in 2021. She's said she moved to the idyll to escape the spotlight, having sold her secluded Yucca Valley, California home in 2022. The Rum Diaries actress scored around $1 million (£775k) for the three-bedroom home, which she bought in 2019 for $570,000 (£442k). Heard is set to reprise her role as Mera in Aquaman 2, despite a campaign run by ardent Johnny Depp fans to have her cut from the movie. Heard is currently battling with her insurer, who she believes is liable to pay the $1 million (£775k) settlement she owes her ex-husband after she lost the defamation trial he brought against her. The actress has appealed to a judge to resolve the matter and the judge is yet to rule. Watch this space...
Meanwhile, when not touring with his band, Depp has been finding refuge on his 45-acre three-island atoll in the Bahamas. Known as Little Halls Pond Cay (Depp affectionately refers to it as ‘F*** Off Island’), it has six different beaches and was bought by the actor for almost $5.4 million (£4.2m).
The movie mogul has said in the past that he has "various houses in various places and they all mean something special. I don’t have them just to say I own them, I have them for use and because they are a bit special.” So it's not a surprise that the father-of-two owns an array of beautiful homes. Depp was born in Owensboro, Kentucky and, despite moving around frequently in his childhood, he clearly holds a soft spot for his birthplace. Set on the outskirts of Lexington, the Kentucky native purchased this gorgeous horse farm in 1995 for a modest $950,000 (£737k).
He sold the Bluegrass home in 2001 for $1 million (£775k) before purchasing it again for $2 million (£1.5m) in 2005 as a gift for his beloved mother, Sue Palmer. The house is nicknamed Betty Sue’s Family Farm in her honour and she lived here until her death in 2016.
The 41-acre estate houses a seven-bedroom home, four-car garage, guesthouse, pool and three barns. Originally, the farm was put up for auction in 2017, but the top offer of $1.4 million (£1.1m) was refused. Local press reported its worth as $2.3 million (£1.8m) but it only sold for $1.35 million (£1m) – nearly half its cash value – in early 2020.
The $50 million (£38.8m) trial in which Johnny Depp went to war with ex-wife Amber Heard brought one aspect of the actor's real estate collection firmly into the spotlight. During court proceedings, it emerged that a number of people in the couple's entourage at the time were all living for free in Depp's collection of five penthouses in the truly incredible Art Deco-style Eastern Columbia Building in trendy downtown Los Angeles.
It was also the setting for some of the alleged attacks outlined during witness statements, with floorplans of the buildings presented as evidence at the courthouse in Virginia. Before reaching notoriety, this incredible penthouse hit the headlines when high-end realtors The Agency landed the job of taking this A-list property to market, and several house tours were put on Youtube.
The video shows the apartments exactly as Johnny had them, complete with his extensive collection of fine art, books and furnishings. According to floorplans presented during the trial and statements, Johnny Depp and Amber Heard shared their space with a group of friends and family. The former couple lived next door to Depp's long-time friend and neighbour, Isaac Baruch. Heard’s sister Whitney was a resident in another of the adjoining penthouses and various friends lived in the others.
Three of the apartments were connected with doorways between them, and one of the five served as a permanent guest suite. In this quirky room in the main residence, we get a glimpse of Depp's love of art. He filled almost every wall of the complex with unusual pieces, including this wall mural painted by a Brazilian street artist. A pirate figure in red on a natural canvas gives a knowing nod to his most famous role.
Like every part of the penthouse complex, the décor is luxurious but lived in and filled with vintage touches and decorative embellishment. Purple, green and dark wood may not be everyone's first choice for a kitchen colour scheme, but it really works in this beautiful bespoke space.
The building's distinctive architecture and green clock face make the Eastern Columbia building a Los Angeles landmark. Two of the penthouses have direct access to a private roof garden where residents can swim and sunbathe on the incredible sky deck with a beautiful swimming pool and lounging cabanas, spa area, outdoor fireplace and a fully-equipped fitness studio.
Sometime between 2007 and 2008, Depp acquired five of these luxury urban dwellings for a total of $7.2 million (£5.6m). As his relationship with Heard ended acrimoniously, Depp decided to sell them for a clean start and originally listed them together for $12.8 million (£9.9m). The apartments had never been combined, so he was able to sell them separately when a quick sale proved elusive for the property parcel. It turned out to be a smart business decision, as he made a profit of $2 million (£1.5m) in the resale, selling the final apartment (pictured) in November 2017.
Long before Depp married Amber, he was married to French actress and singer Vanessa Paradis and they had their first child together – the future actress and model, Lily-Rose Depp. Their son Jack would follow the next year. He also bought perhaps his most extravagant piece of real estate in 2001; a beautiful old French village filled with quirky buildings and amenities. Located in the paradisical Côte d'Azur area, the 19th-century Provençal hamlet can be found just 17 miles from the glamorous celebrity magnet Saint-Tropez.
The 15-hectare hamlet was completed dilapidated when Depp acquired it. He spent $14 million (£10.8m) on restorations which included the preservation of the original stone and wood beam structures throughout all the buildings – this alone cost $10 million (£7.7m)!
Further renovations carried out by the three-time Academy Award nominee have included transforming the village's former place of worship (pictured) into one of six on-site guest homes; the Catholic confessional is now a wardrobe. With beautiful stonework and soaring ceilings, who wouldn't want to live in a converted church?
Depp, who rose to fame as an 80s teen heartthrob in the television series 21 Jump Street, also invested in making over the exterior of the buildings: there is a real feeling that you are in the heart of a functional French village. For example, the town square is utterly charming and houses a private restaurant called Chez Marceline. There’s no telling who has dined here – perhaps famous co-stars like Helena Bonham-Carter or Orlando Bloom?
According to TopTenRealEstateDeals.com, the village was put up for sale in both 2015 and 2016 but failed to attract a buyer. During this period, its real estate value varied from $27 million (£20.9m) to $63 million (£48.9m). The last time it was listed in 2021, it was rumoured to have an asking price of $55.5 million (£43m).
As would be expected when you own a village, there are plenty of sociable amenities, too. In addition to the various residences, there's a covered wagon with a bath and kitchen, two swimming pools, a skate park that he designed for his son, a full gym and a Pirates of the Caribbean-themed wine cellar (pictured).
The village’s exclusive location would have been a huge draw; Saint-Tropez is a hotspot for the world’s elite to convene. Along its palm tree-lined streets, you might bump into the likes of Leonardo DiCaprio, Beyoncé and Jay-Z or Depp’s ex-partner Kate Moss. It’s also just a stone’s throw away from the beauty of the Mediterranean.
In addition to all this incredible property - and perhaps unsurprisingly for Captain Jack Sparrow - Depp also owned a 150-foot luxury yacht named Vajoliroja (so named after the first two letters of Vanessa, Johnny, Lily-Rose and Jack), which reportedly cost $350,000 (£271k) in monthly upkeep. His accountant convinced him to sell the yacht, which was bought by JK Rowling – the creator of his Fantastic Beasts character Gellert Grindelwald – in 2016.
After several turbulent years, it seems the former Hollywood heartthrob is getting his career back on track. In his first major film role since the legal battles with Heard, Depp's depiction of French king Louis XV in Jeanne du Barry was met with a seven-minute standing ovation at the 2023 Cannes Film Festival. And while his return to the Pirates of the Caribbean initially looked unlikely, producer Jerry Bruckheimer recently declared he would "love" to have him in the next sequel. "He’s a friend, a terrific actor and it’s unfortunate that personal lives creep into everything we do." So it might not be too long before we see Depp don his trademark eyeliner once again and swashbuckle his way back onto our screens...
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