Johnny Depp’s Struggles With Addiction And Compulsive Spending Disorder

Johnny Depp’s darkest battles reveal how fame, addiction, and unchecked spending can slowly unravel even Hollywood’s most powerful stars.

Middle Image Via Liongate.

Johnny Depp can easily be one of the most celebrated and bankable actors in Hollywood, with a slew of blockbuster movies to his name.

But behind all the fame and fortune, the Pirates of the Caribbean actor has also had very tough and deeply personal battles that have played out in the public eye.

From his struggles with substance abuse to reports of his compulsive spending, his private issues have on many occasions, overshadowed his on-screen talent.

Moreover, in recent years, these issues have come under scrutiny, especially after this highly publicized trial with his former wife, Amber Heard.

But this also detailed the darker side of a celebrity’s life and the toll it can take even on the most iconic figures in the entertainment industry.

So, let’s dive deeper to understand Johnny Depp‘s struggles with addiction and his alleged Compulsive Spending Disorder.

Johnny Depp’s addiction struggles began when he was still a child

Apart from his incredible acting chops and blockbuster movies, Johnny Depp’s personal life has been filled with ups and downs.

Over the years, the actor has struggled with addiction, emotional distress, and anger issues.

Moreover, he has never shied away from talking about his dark times.

He once shared via People that he started smoking when he was just a 12-year-old kid, and that quickly turned into using drugs and alcohol.

However, if we go back to his trial with Amber Heard via Metro, he took the stand and mentioned that he started using drugs at the age of 11, when he took his mother Betty Sue’s nerve pills to “escape feeling so much.

Johnny Depp in a still from 21 Jump Street | Credits: Fox.

In another interview via Rolling Stone, he had mentioned that during the ’90s, while dating model Kate Moss, he went through a period where he was emotionally lost and angry, which led to self-destructive behavior.

It was also during this time that he was arrested for criminal mischief at New York’s Mark Hotel for completely trashing his room.

Though the charges were eventually dropped, this moment became one of the main signs of his unstable emotional behavior back then.

Depp has always been open about how his tragic childhood shaped how he got into smoking and drinking in the first place.

Moreover, drinking alcohol was not a fun thing to do for him, but it helped him numb his emotions amid troubles.

All about Johnny Depp’s Compulsive Spending Disorder

Johnny Depp’s financial troubles have become a major point of contention, with his former business management company accusing him of having a compulsive spending disorder.

According to new court documents filed by the actor’s ex-management firm, The Management Group (TMG), his extravagant spending habits were quite out of control (via News.com.au).

Not only that but apparently his monthly expenses reached a staggering $2.66 million.

The court documents also revealed that his financial priorities were highly problematic and that instead of focusing on paying taxes in time, he spent a massive $99.6 million to maintain 14 properties.

This includes his private islands in the Bahamas and a horse farm in Kentucky.

Johnny Depp in a still from Benny & Joon | Credits: MGM.

This high figure doesn’t even include the expenses of his 45 luxury cars and his expensive wine habit, which costs him about $40,000 every month.

The legal complaint also pokes fun at Depp’s spending on wine, noting that “Wine is not an investment if you drink it as soon as you buy it.”.

The court documents suggest that Depp’s purchases were not well thought out and pointed to his apparent lack of concern for the long-term value of his wealth.

TMG’s lawsuit also references Depp’s comments in a Wall Street Journal interview, where he defended his spending, saying, “If I want to buy 15,000 cotton balls a day, it’s my thing.”.

The management firm’s lawyers argue that these statements highlight Depp’s psychological issues and indicate he might be suffering from a compulsive spending disorder.

They are asking the court to allow a mental health examination to confirm this.

The tension between Depp and TMG started after one of his homes went into foreclosure.

The firm claims it had to loan him $6.6 million to prevent negative publicity, but Depp reportedly has not paid it back.

In addition to these claims, the lawsuit also discussed a bizarre arrangement where Depp allegedly paid a sound engineer to feed him lines during filming.

According to the suit, Depp insisted that the sound engineer be kept on retainer so he wouldn’t have to memorize his lines for movies.

This lawsuit is not the first time a Hollywood star has been involved in a financial dispute.

Depp joins the ranks of other famous figures, such as Nicolas Cage, who have accused their managers of mismanaging their finances.

Johnny Depp talks about his troubled past in an interview

In a rare and honest conversation via Vanity Fair, Johnny Depp dived deeper into the past and the dark periods of his life shaped by addiction.

Interestingly, this interview happened in the downstairs bar of The Viper Room (a club he once co-owned and also the place where actor River Phoenix tragically collapsed and died in 1993).

The actor looked back at a time filled with sadness and self-destruction.

Johnny Depp in Pirates of the Caribbean | Credits: Walt Disney Studios

He admitted that he had gone through a phase of heavy substance use.

Moreover, he also talked about the heavy toll drinking had taken over him, adding:

No, a few drinks have been mentioned.

Some people can drink – you know, a few whiskeys or vodkas.

But I just keep going.

It was this loss of control that he added that made things worse for him.

At one point in his career, especially around the time he filmed What’s Eating Gilbert Grapes, he added that he was in a dark place.

He said:

Oh, man, yeah.

Johnny was unhappy then….

It was a pretty dark time for me.

I don’t know what was going on.

Well, I was poisoning myself beyond belief.” He points to his soda.

“I’d eat that glass, man.

There was a lot of liquor.

A lot of liquor.

I was pretty unhealthy.

While he tried to jump away from the questions based on drug use, he added that his addiction stemmed from the desire to escape pain.

Through these words, Depp gave a rare look at the personal battles he’s faced – ones that shaped him both as an actor and as a person.

While the chaos may have once consumed him, it’s clear he now hopes for a quieter, more peaceful path ahead.