Pirate palace up for sale
Johnny Depp asking $31 million for buccaneer-themed abode
PARIS — Fans of the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise can grab a piece of film history — its star Johnny Depp has put his themed home on the French Riviera up for sale.
The actor is selling the sprawling 37-acre estate above St. Tropez in the south of France for $23 million euros ($31 million) to “close the chapter” on his life with French singer and actor Vanessa Paradis.
The buyer will also get the Hollywood actor’s furniture, books, artwork and other personal belongings. One room in the main house has a Pirates of the Caribbean motif, with skulls and brightly coloured scarves adorning the walls and furnishings.
Depp, who relaxed there with Paradis and their two children, reportedly decorated much of the estate himself. He and Paradis separated in 2012 after a 14-year relationship.
The holiday home includes a church the actor converted into a guest house featuring a confessional transformed into a wardrobe, a café, two swimming pools, a gym and a skate park built for Depp’s son Jack and daughter Lily-Rose.
“Johnny has decided to sell the Plan de la Tour property to close this chapter of his life and move on,” Alexander Kraft, head of Sotheby’s International Realty France, which is handling the sale, wrote in a description of the estate.
The pictures of the exclusive holiday home on the estate agent’s website provide a rare glimpse into the private life of the reclusive actor, whose most lucrative role has been as the swashbuckling Captain Jack Sparrow in the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise.
The decision to sell the estate comes at the end of a turbulent time for the star.
In February, the 52-year-old married U.S. actress and model Amber Heard, 23 years his junior. The couple have been plagued by breakup rumours.
Depp also sparked controversy earlier this year when he brought his pet dogs into Australia without putting them through quarantine.
The Hollywood actor bought his French estate in 2001 when it was little more than a derelict, abandoned hamlet dating from the 18th century, and subsequently spent about $13 million renovating the stone-built structures.
The main building is a rambling house of about 4,300 square feet, with five bedrooms, three bathrooms and an art studio. There are also several guest cottages, a workshop, garage and staff quarters.