Johnny Depp Thanks Late Mother For Teaching Him How 'Not' to Raise His Children

The actor opened up to The Telegraph about his late mother Betty Sue Palmer, who he says was physically abusive during his childhood.

"She beat me with a f---ing stick," Depp recalled to the publication. "A f---ing shoe, an ashtray, a phone, it didn't matter, man. But I thank her for that. She taught me how not to raise kids. Just do the exact opposite of what she did."

Depp is the father of two children, who he shares with ex Vanessa Paradis. Their children include daughter Lily-Rose, who has made a name for herself as an actress, and son Jack, who has maintained his privacy.

Before she passed, the Pirates of the Caribbean star was still close with his mother, despite this tough upbringing. He even brought her to a number of big events, including the 76th Academy Awards in Hollywood. She died in 2016 at 81.

This is not the first time Depp has spoken about his turbulent childhood. During his defamation trial against ex-wife Amber Heard in April 2022, he called Palmer "violent" and "cruel."

Depp described raising his own children to The Telegraph as "part of the wonderful ride I was on," again, despite this ride of life not always being smooth sailing for the actor.

"I've been accused of the deepest unpleasantries that you can be hit with. And for what reason? I think that's probably pretty clear," he told the publication, which wrote that he rubbed his fingers together, insinuating he was talking about money.

Read more about Depp's relationship with his children here.