The cheekbones are back. As does a languidly elegant, much shorter haircut.
And while Johnny Depp retains that trademark rugged, tattooed charm, the overly disheveled – perhaps even dirty – look of recent months appears to be behind him.
Friends explain that Depp had a ‘gap year’ of sorts (actually, more like two years) following his hard-hitting 2022 court case against ex-wife Amber Heard.
The Virginia court ruled in Depp’s favor that Heard had defamed him on three counts of domestic abuse allegations.
Although Heard won only one of her countersuits and sources say Depp was elated by the verdict, the lengthy trial clearly took its toll.
Depp largely faded from the spotlight, growing his hair long and gaining weight, while privately playing a lot of music (he’s an accomplished guitarist) and dabbling in painting.
He traveled widely, including to Saudi Arabia, where he has formed surprising, if not controversial, friendships with the kingdom’s royal family, who have since financially backed some of his film projects.
While Johnny Depp retains that trademark rugged, tattooed charm, the overly disheveled – perhaps even dirty – look of recent months appears to be behind him. (Pictured last year)
Friends explain that Depp had a ‘gap year’ of sorts (actually, more like two years) following his hard-hitting 2022 court case against ex-wife Amber Heard. (Pictured last week).
He’s also spent months at a time on his $5 million private Caribbean island, Little Parrot Cay, holed up with select friends.
Then came a double tragedy with the unexpected sudden death of two close friends.
He was at rock legend Jeff Beck’s bedside when he died aged 78 in January last year. Sources described the pair as “extremely close” and said Depp was left “devastated” by Beck’s death.
But there was little time for mourning as, just ten months later, The Pogues frontman Shane MacGowan died after a long period of illness. Depp, who has spoken warmly of his “love” for MacGowan, helped carry the singer’s coffin at his funeral.
That both Beck and MacGowan had suffered very public battles with substance abuse was not lost on Depp, who, friends say, subsequently reevaluated his own life.
Certainly, Depp’s two-year marriage to Heard had been incredibly self-destructive, with excessive drinking and ‘fucking’.
Clearly, says a friend, it was time for “a change.”
Hence the ‘new look’ last week, when she appeared at the small London premiere of her new French film, ‘Jeanne Du Barry’, showing off her fitter, cleaner appearance.
I’m told she turned to Odile Gilbert, one of Paris’s most famous hairdressers, to transform her wild locks.
She has also lost a considerable amount of weight through a slow process of “being more mindful, eating well and prioritizing her well-being,” sources say.
The timing of this makeover is no coincidence. Depp will appear in an upcoming Dior campaign, reprising his role as its leading celebrity spokesperson and the face of its best-selling fragrance, Sauvage.
Depp hopes his transformation will be completely “complete” by the time the fall arrives, with plans for big commercial and film projects.
In fact, friends tease that fans will soon be able to get their hands on some of Depp’s own brand rum.
A line of spirits would certainly benefit the popularity of his best-known on-screen character, Captain Jack Sparrow from the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise.
Friends tease that fans will soon be able to get their hands on some of Depp’s own brand rum. A line of spirits would certainly boost the popularity of his best-known on-screen character, Captain Jack Sparrow from the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise.
It could also be very lucrative, something Depp will no doubt have learned from the success of other famous alcohol brands.
As for Captain Jack Sparrow, the question on everyone’s lips is whether Depp will reprise the fan-favorite role.
Until recently, Depp had all but given up on acting and committed to behind-the-camera roles, such as in the upcoming film ‘Modi’ (a biopic about Modigliani, directed by Depp and starring Al Pacino).
However, now insiders say that what was once a “probably no” has become a “yes”: Depp will return to our screens.
As for reprising Jack Sparrow? Maybe it’s a company.
Pirates of the Caribbean producer Jerry Bruckheimer, who is working with Disney on much-publicized plans to reboot the franchise, has said he would love to have Depp back, even in a cameo. But would Depp himself agree?
There was a moment when it was a resounding “no”; In fact, he said in court that he would not take office again, even for $300 million.
Depp was left terribly hurt after the production abruptly dropped him and cut all ties during his complicated court battles with Heard.
But time heals, and Depp now feels grateful to the fans who have supported him. He certainly wouldn’t want to disrespect them by completely ruling out a return.
A friend says, “Johnny has always been touched by how many people love and identify with the character, so anything is possible.” All of which sounds much more like a yes than a no.
As for reprising Jack Sparrow? Maybe it’s a company. Pirates of the Caribbean producer Jerry Bruckheimer has said that he would love to have Depp back, even in a cameo.
There is no doubt that his romance will be rekindled with glamorous lawyer Joelle Rich, who represented Depp during his 2020 London trial and is also based in north London.
She has also lost a considerable amount of weight through a slow process of “being more mindful, eating well and prioritizing her well-being,” sources say. (Pictured with Rich in 2020).
Meanwhile, Depp now resides primarily in London, and also spends time in the south of France, where he owns a sprawling 37-acre estate.
In March last year he visited an antiques shop in Lincolnshire, UK, arriving by helicopter, and bought desks, guitars and other items to furnish a “new house in London”.
A friend who lives in Los Angeles tells me that this new house was secretly purchased from another high-profile celebrity some time ago.
The value is unknown, but I have heard that the property is in Hampstead, a very desirable area in the north of the city, particularly popular with celebrities. Depp’s neighbors include director Tim Burton, a close old friend.
There is no doubt that his romance is rekindled with glamorous lawyer Joelle Rich, who represented Depp during his trial in London in 2020 and is also based in north London.
The couple enjoyed a brief “entanglement” during the Virginia trial (in which Rich had no legal role). But his friends now say that Depp is “too busy” to consider any serious romantic relationship, and that his relationship with Rich simply petered out within weeks of the trial.
It seems like he was happy to move on. And while he focuses his efforts on his triumphant return to the film industry, Dior’s upcoming fall campaign, and perhaps even plans for a private-label liquor, fans can rest assured that there’s plenty more of Depp to come. come.