Why does Johnny Depp say he was a ‘sucker’ for falling in love with Amber Heard? Actor reflects on past relationship

In an interview with The Sunday Times, Hollywood veteran Johnny Depp spoke about how his early experiences shaped the way he saw love. He also explained how these views affected his relationship with ex-wife Amber Heard.

Depp, now 62, said that he used to believe he could "help" a partner when he saw sadness in their eyes. He called himself a “sucker” for believing he could make things better. Depp and Heard met in 2011. They married in 2015 but split a little over a year later. The divorce led to a long legal battle that played out in the public eye.

In 2022, a Virginia court ruled in Depp’s favor in his defamation suit against Heard. The lawsuit stemmed from a 2018 op-ed Heard wrote, in which she described herself as a victim of domestic abuse. Now, years later, Depp is speaking about the emotional toll of that time.

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Why does Johnny Depp call himself a ‘sucker’ for love?

In the interview, Johnny Depp said that his past experiences shaped how he saw love. He admitted that this sometimes led him into painful situations. He described how wanting to help others can backfire.

He told The Sunday Times:

“So, what were my initial dealings with what we call ‘love?’ Clearly obtuse. And what that means is, if you’re a sucker like I am, sometimes you look in a person’s eye and see some sadness, some lonely thing and you feel you can help that person.”

Johnny Depp said this desire to help is not always returned in a good way. He explained that trying to help someone can lead to hurt.

“But no good deed goes unpunished, because there are those who, when you try to love and help them, will start to give you an understanding of what that malaise, that perturbance was in their eyes. It manifests itself in other ways,” Depp added.

He said this part of his life was just a small piece of the story he chose to talk about.

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Why did Johnny Depp feel he had to fight the defamation case?

Johnny Depp also explained why he chose to fight the defamation lawsuit in public. He said he felt it was important to stand up for the truth, even though it was difficult.

“Look, it had gone far enough. I knew I’d have to semi-eviscerate myself. Everyone was saying, ‘It’ll go away!’ But I can’t trust that. What will go away? The fiction pawned around the f------ globe? No, it won’t," Depp said.

He explained that if he had stayed silent, people might believe he was guilty. He worried about how that would affect his children and others.

“If I don’t try to represent the truth, it will be like I’ve actually committed the acts I am accused of. And my kids will have to live with it. Their kids. Kids that I’ve met in hospitals,” he said.

Johnny Depp said that before the trial started, he did not feel nervous because he was telling the truth.

“So the night before the trial in Virginia, I didn’t feel nervous. If you don’t have to memorize lines, if you’re just speaking the truth? Roll the dice,” he shared.

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How did the trial affect Johnny Depp’s relationships with friends and colleagues?

Johnny Depp also talked about how the trial changed his relationships with the people around him. He said that some friends betrayed him when he needed their support.

“As weird as I am, certain things can be trusted. And my loyalty is the last thing anybody could question," he told The Sunday Times.

He shared how even people close to him chose to speak against him during the trial.

“I was with one agent for 30 years, but she spoke in court about how difficult I was. That’s death by confetti, these fake motherf------ who lie to you, celebrate you, say all sorts of horror behind your back, yet keep the money,” Depp said.

He said three people in his circle truly betrayed him.

“Those people were at my kids’ parties. Throwing them in the air. And, look, I understand people who could not stand up [for me], because the most frightening thing to them was making the right choice. I was pre-#MeToo. I was like a crash test dummy for #MeToo. It was before Harvey Weinstein,” he explained.

What did you make of Depp's explanation? Sound off in the comments section.

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