Inside The Beguiling Farm House Johnny Depp Purchased For His Mom After She Was Raised In A 'Holler'

Sep 06, 2023 by apost team

Johnny Depp is an iconic actor who has had his fair share of ups and downs in the public eye. The actor’s positive and negative moments are a major highlight of his life as a successful actor. However, Depp is widely loved for the expert delivery of his film roles.  

Beyond his humble beginnings, Depp gained fame and fortune through blockbuster movies and some of his franchise roles. Right from the start, Depp set himself apart with his first feature film, "A Nightmare on Elm Street," in 1984. He then gained prominence as a teen star on the 1987 TV series, “21 Jump Street.”   

As the star actor gathered momentum in the industry, so did his wealth grow. By the 2000s, Depp had made enough money to turn his family’s fortune around. In 2005, the actor made headlines after he purchased a stately horse farm for his mother, Betty Sue, in Kentucky. Betty Sue’s life experienced a turnaround from her humble background and struggles as a mother.  

Depp’s career trajectory continued to record success, making him one of the most commercially successful actors of the 2000s and 2010s. Guinness World Records listed the “Pirates of the Caribbean” actor as the world's highest-paid actor in 2012. At the time, Depp reportedly earned $75 million per year.

Some of his most iconic roles were recorded in movies like "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory," “Pirates of the Caribbean,” “Alice in the Wonderland” and “Fantastic Beasts” among others.

Most of Depp’s relationships have been quite public, with the most messy one being his high-profile marriage and divorce with actress Amber Heard. Growing up, Depp did not have the best relationship with his mother, Betty Sue. From several accounts given, the pair had a complicated mother-son rapport.    

Amid his explosive legal battle with Heard, the actor delved into his background and the alleged abuse he experienced from his mother. The star was born in June 1963 to a civil engineer, Christopher, and a waitress, Betty Sue. The screen icon was born the last of four children.

On April 19, 2022, when Depp testified during the defamation trial against his former spouse, he divulged details of his early relationship with his mother. The star described a turbulent childhood that left him traumatized. The “Jeanne du Barry" actor noted that Betty Sue was "violent" and "cruel" during his formative years such that he “tried to stay out of the line of fire” whenever she was around him. 

The star actor noted that the “verbal abuse, the psychological abuse, was almost worse than the beatings.” He mused: “The beatings were just physical pain. The physical pain you learn to deal with. You learn to accept it. You learn to deal with it.” 

Depp narrated how his mom often hurled missiles at him and his older siblings. He relayed that she could throw “a high-heeled shoe," an "ashtray" or a “telephone.”

He shared that his dad was the exception because he "is a very kind" man. Depp described his father as a “quiet” and "shy" man who was far from “confrontational.” The “Dark Shadows'' star noted that his mother would unleash her temperament on him from time to time, but his dad never lost his cool to the point of hitting her.   

Betty Sue softened and warmed up to her children in her later life. Until she passed away, she and Depp had a close relationship. As an older woman, Betty Sue was her son's plus one to many star-studded events, including movie premieres.

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The first time Depp was nominated for an Academy Award in 2004, he attended the event with Betty Sue. He also etched a tattoo of her name on his arm, symbolizing his love.

Despite all of this, Depp’s childhood pain never faded away. Betty Sue passed on in May 2016 at 81 after she battled cancer. During her funeral, Depp could not disguise his pain, such that he made harsh comments. However, he still extended grace to her in interviews. The “Rango” star told Rolling Stone in 2018 that her own challenging childhood could have conditioned her to the adult she was. He stated:

“My mom was born in a f***ing holler in eastern Kentucky, her poor f***ing a** was on phenobarbital at 12.”

He elaborated:

"My mother was raised in a shack, in the wilds of Appalachia, where the toilet was an outhouse."

The sordid story changed when Depp purchased a remarkable farmhouse for Betty Sue in 2005 at a whopping $2 million. He renamed the lush property after her to show reverence. Depp initially bought the landscaped home in 1995 for $950,000. However, he sold it in 2001, only to repurchase it in 2005. The 6635-square-foot property has a flowing layout, rich greenery and a brick-style home. 

The open plan of the stately abode features living and dining rooms, with an extension to the spacious and well-equipped kitchen. The living area houses some of Depp’s memorabilia decked on the walls. The ranch-style home features six bedrooms and seven bathrooms.  

Toward the outdoor plan, the Versailles Road property has a guest house, a manager's quarters, two horse barns and paddocks. Alongside a garden-style walkway, it is also equipped with a four-car garage. Following Betty Sue’s passing, Depp relisted the home in 2018 for $2.9 million. It later went off the market in the same year.

Isn’t it lovely that Johnny Depp and his mom fixed their strained relationship before her demise? What are your thoughts on the grand ranch that once belonged to Betty Sue? Let us know, and be sure to pass this on to other Depp fans.