Photo: PAN Photo Agency / Shutterstock / TikTok
There are similarities between them...
By Nia Tipton — Written on Nov 15, 2022
It seems Johnny Depp may have an additional child on top of the two he already has.
A man has come forward, alleging that he is Depp's son and the actor has no idea, detailing events in his life that have led him to believe that he is related to the actor.
While Depp has two children, Lily-Rose Depp, 23, and Jack Depp, 20, with his ex-partner, Vanessa Paradis, the man, James, claims that he is also a part of their family.
The man claiming to be Johnny Depp's long-lost son came forward on TikTok.
James explained that he believes Depp and his mother met in the Philippines, sharing a photo that he says shows them together.
In a TikTok video, James claimed Depp "was in the Philippines in 1986" filming a movie.
"There is a woman sitting behind him on set, and I believe her to be my mother," he alleges, sharing the photo along with other images of a woman he claims to be his mom in another video.
James claims that on his birth certificate, his biological father is not named, and instead says "unknown."
He also alleges that he doesn't know the exact date of his birth, previously thinking that it was October 15, 1986, because his mother was allegedly issued a "citation for not registering a live birth for up to a year."
James continued, saying that his mother eventually became abusive toward him when they moved to America, which was around the same time that Depp started to gain recognition in Hollywood.
"I have asked plenty of times only to be met with violence," James claims, referring to asking his mother if Depp is his biological father or not.
After taking a DNA test, James noticed that he and Depp shared the same ancestry.
James noted that he had taken an ancestry DNA test, where on his father's side, he allegedly inherited "16% Scottish, 25% English" with some Welsh, German, Irish, and other European countries.
Depp's reported ancestry shows that he's primarily of English descent, with some French, German, and Irish ancestry.
Depp also told Entertainment Weekly in 2011 that he has "some Native American somewhere down the line."
"My great-grandmother was quite a bit of Native American, she grew up Cherokee or maybe Creek Indian. Makes sense in terms of coming from Kentucky, which is rife with Cherokee and Creek."
James continued, saying that he does bear a resemblance to Depp, and while the timeline is a bit "skewed," he is determined to figure out the truth.
"Take a look into it," he urged viewers. "If anything, just help prove me wrong."
Depp filmed a movie in the Philippines in 1986.
During that year, Depp traveled to the country to shoot his film "Platoon," proving that detail of James' recount to be true.
At the time, Depp wasn't widely known, and according to the Guardian, had a small role in the movie, though much of the material he shot was cut from the finished project, including his two major dialogue scenes with fellow actor Willem Dafoe.
The film started shooting in the Philippines in 1986, however, Depp was reportedly in a relationship during that time.
Depp and actress Sherilyn Fenn were said to be dating after the two met in 1985 while shooting their short film "Dummies."
The two went on to date for three years, and according to Brides, they were even engaged.
Years after their split, Fenn had nothing but nice things to say about her ex-partner, suggesting that the two didn't end on bad terms.
"He was very sweet. He was my first love,” Fenn told The Big Issue in 2017. “I had found real love. It was with someone who was walking the same path, but even if he wasn’t, the love and the connection was strong enough – cooking meals, hanging out, laughing, and crying.
"So it is more about that than the fact he is this well-known person now. I know him as a human, not a movie star.”
Nia Tipton is a writer living in Brooklyn. She covers pop culture, social justice issues, and trending topics. Keep up with her on Instagram and Twitter.