Johnny Depp distorted the truth about his troubled childhood to influence the jury in his high-profile 2022 trial against ex-wife Amber Heard, according to a new book about the Pirates of the Caribbean star.
In Johnny Depp’s Accidental Fixer, author Paul Barresi uncovers the dark secrets of Depp’s family, revealing a world of mental illness, betrayal, substance abuse, and dysfunction, RadarOnline.com reports.
“My search for the truth took me on a journey back to the Depp family’s roots,” Barresi, a private investigator hired by Heard, 38, to find damaging information on her ex-husband, said.
Barresi discovered Depp’s mother Betty Sue struggled with depression, mania, and a suicide attempt. Depp’s father, Johnny Depp Sr., had a DUI, trouble finding work, and affairs with other women.
Depp, 61, testified dramatically about his parents during his defamation lawsuit against Heard. Barresi claims the actor misrepresented facts to win the case, ultimately receiving more than $10 million.
“Johnny’s gripping testimony highlighted Betty Sue’s aggressive, mercurial, and malevolent nature, drawing parallels to Amber,” Barresi wrote in his book. “Conversely, his depiction of his father as the battered husband and victim resonated with the jury, suggesting similarities to Johnny himself. However, what I uncovered starkly contradicted the courtroom narrative.”
During the trial, Depp portrayed his mother as the villain responsible for the family’s breakup. However, Barresi argues Depp’s father played a significant role.
“Johnny testified that his family moved frequently because of his mother, or rather, the ‘fire in her feet,’” Barresi said. “While this may have been partially true, I discovered that the primary driver behind the frequent relocations was his father’s struggle to find steady work.”
Barresi also claimed that the sudden departure of Johnny’s dad and his mother’s failed suicide attempt were due to Depp Sr. falling in love with a co-worker, former high school beauty queen Marsha Johnson. He noted that Depp Sr.’s DUI arrest and conviction indicated a likely problem with alcohol. Depp’s father married Johnson, divorced her, and remarried just 16 days later.
Meanwhile, Betty Sue declared 16-year-old Johnny self-sufficient after her marriage ended. She went through five husbands before dying of cancer in 2016.
Reflecting on his mother, Depp said, “She was a hellcat. She was mean, but she was funny.”
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