What’s eating Johnny?
Fears for skeletal star
He was the golden boy of the ’90s, with a sharp jawline and boyish looks that earned him the title of Sexiest Man Alive not once, but twice. However, Johnny Depp’s good looks don’t appear to be standing the test of time.
When the 55-year-old stepped out in Russia recently, fans were shocked at the worrying sight of the stringy, hollow-cheeked man that bore only the slightest resemblance to the Hollywood actor. “What’s eating Johnny Depp?” the headlines asked.
Those close to the star claim he has being ravaged by an addiction to alcohol and drugs, and that crisis talks are being held by his worried ex-partner Vanessa Paradis, 45, and their two children, Lily-Rose, 19, and John, 16.
“It’s no secret Johnny’s battled with alcohol and drug addiction over the years, and in the past few months, his problems have been rearing their ugly head again,” a well-placed showbiz insider reports, speaking exclusively to Woman’s Day.
“He’s become a shadow of the man he once was and while his team is strongly denying anything is wrong, the pictures tell their own story. It’s become clear that Johnny is spiralling quickly and he’s been warned by his medical professionals that unless he gets help soon, he’ll end up dead.”
Heroin trouble
The actor initially shed weight to play a terminally ill man in new flick Richard Says
Goodbye, but filming wrapped last year and rather than put the weight back on, Johnny has instead been dropping more kilos. It’s believed he’s now around 63kg.
When Johnny arrived in Russia as part of his world tour with rock group Hollywood Vampires, concert-goers shared their meet-and-greet photos with concern rather than adoration. One fan posted a picture on Twitter and wrote, “I think my hero looks ill.”
Our insider agrees, claiming, “Johnny’s been battling with deep-rooted issues stemming from his past, which have been causing him major anxiety and depression. He has been masking them both with substances including marijuana, which has led to intense mood swings and anger outbursts.”
Many of those in Johnny’s inner circle believe it hasn’t helped that his ex Vanessa – who he split with in 2012, after 14 years together – is about to get married to her new love, French writer Samuel Benchetrit, 44.
The insider continues, “He’s been distancing himself from a host of his friends and family as his troubled past comes back to haunt him. He desperately tries to hide his demons from those closest to him, but after collapsing twice
over the past month, they’ve all been notified and there’s a real concern that he needs urgent help.”
Emotional rescue
His family aren’t the only ones trying to get Johnny to see sense – longtime pal Angelina Jolie has apparently also offered her support to get him back to health. “She has been phoning and texting him several times a day while he is on tour in Europe with his band,” claims a mutual friend.
It’s hardly been an easy few years for the Alicein Wonderland star. There was a messy split from actress Amber Heard, who claimed that he verbally and physically abused her throughout their four-year relationship.
The 32-year-old beauty filed for divorce in 2016, the day after Johnny’s mum Betty died, triggering what many believe has been a downward spiral ever since, fuelled by boozing and drug binges.
In April, two former bodyguards launched a lawsuit claiming Johnny had exposed them to unsafe working conditions, including “illegal substances”. The pair even claim they had to wipe drugs off the screen legend’s face during a party.
But Johnny’s most recent troubles came just last month, when the actor bizarrely offered a crew member on his upcoming movie CityofLies $100,000 to punch him in the face when a fight erupted.
“His mental state has taken a serious decline as he acts delusional from lack of sleep and malnutrition,” explains our insider. “He’s been displaying some worrying signs that he’s suffering from a personality disorder, which has left his loved ones deeply concerned.”
But while his management team is trying to silence the headlines surrounding Johnny’s latest look, even claiming he’s “in good health”, the star’s family and friends, including TheTourist co-star Angelina, 43, are apparently desperately trying to get him into rehab before it’s too late.
“Vanessa and Lily-Rose have staged an intervention behind the scenes,” tells our insider. “They’re desperately trying to get him to listen to doctors and admit himself to rehab before his body starts shutting down, and he does permanent damage to his physical and mental state.”