Johnny Depp's spending

The most obvious insight into his character

Aug 23, 2022

**Originally published on my website May 19, 2022**

Trigger Warning Addiction, substance abuse, mention of domestic violence

Color photo of Johnny Depp in a courtroom with tied back dark hair, wearing a tweed suit with black shirt and tie, holding his right hand up with two fingers before his mouth. He is wearing three rings on that hand. Caption says: “Actor Johnny Depp blows a kiss during his defamation case against ex-wife, actor Amber Heard at Fairfax County Circuit Court, in Fairfax, Virginia, U.S., May 19, 2022” — **Screenshot**

I’m not going to comment on the ongoing Depp-Heard domestic violence/free speech trial happening right now because revelations about their relationship continue to emerge and I don’t think commenting is responsible at this point in time. I might share my thoughts about the trial when it’s all over depending on the outcome and public reaction.

What I want to talk about right now is Johnny Depp’s spending.

According to his former financial manager of 17 years, Joel Mandel, Johnny Depp earned more than $600 million between the years of 1999 and 2016.

Joel Mandel continued that of that more than $600 million Johnny Depp rarely gave to charity.

Wow.

Black font on white background reads: "I don't recall writing large charity checks," Mandel said. "It was more his style to show up at an event or lend his name something rather than write a check." — **Screenshot**

According to Mandel, Johnny Depp would rather show up physically to an event then give actual money to change anything. In other words, he liked going to parties where the press would photograph him and think that he cared about that cause. Meanwhile, at those parties which would have been fundraisers, he didn’t actually pledge any significant money.

Mandel said: “I don’t recall writing large charity checks.”

Wow.

So Depp had over $600 million dollars but didn’t think that there were any causes that warranted supporting with his money. That is amazing. Doesn’t everyone in some way support some cause? A lot of actors care about animal rights, or AIDs research, or cancer research. Those causes aren’t politically divisive so actors are advised to show support for their public image. Considering how many more issues than that there are like racial justice, 2SLGBTQIA+ issues, Indigenous rights, houselessness, hunger, lack of access to healthcare, STIs, GMOs, clean water, disabilities, vulnerable children, veterans, refugees, immigration, endless wars, and on and on and on, Depp doesn’t find anything in these to support? This is just a brief list and Johnny Depp doesn’t send any significant financial support to any of them? Out of his more than $600 million earnings?

Wow.

I’ve lived below the poverty line for so many years that these days I feel guilty at the end of the month if I’m able to save some pennies for an emergency. I feel guilty about it because I know so many are struggling with houselessness and lack of food and healthcare.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m glad Johnny Depp hasn’t started some “charitable” foundation to call himself a “philanthropist” and get out of paying taxes. I’m glad he hasn’t done that yet. (Prediction: Depp may well do something like this soon the way Bill Gates did when he was forced out of Microsoft.)

But…no one has to create a fake charity to give to those less fortunate. They can just send a check to something they care about, particularly when they make so much money they’re never going to miss that amount. It’s not complicated. And yet Johnny Depp didn’t do that. He showed up to be photographed at parties and didn’t donate to those parties.

Mandel also said that Johnny Depp spent $100,000 every month on an addiction doctor.

Wow.

Black font on white background reads: “Mandel said Depp's spending included the following: $100,000 every month to David Kipper, a doctor Depp hired in 2014 to help treat addiction issues. Depp said he became dependent on opioid medication following a leg injury. Kipper also assigned one nurse to Depp and another to Heard.” — **Screenshot**

So Johnny Depp paid $100,000 a month to an addiction doctor (with no end to Depp’s addictions in sight), while millions of people all over the country lack access to healthcare, particularly mental healthcare, particularly healthcare for addiction recovery?

Did you know that Depp bought a private cluster of tropical islands in the Bahamas? He owns 45 acres of the Bahamas while the Indigenous survivors of genocide in the Bahamas and the people brought to the Bahamas as enslaved people, continue to be stripped of their land and live in poverty, addiction, and intergenerational colonial trauma.

A complex of several large buildings set very close to a private beach on a tropical island, surrounded by trees and greenery. The water by the beach is a transparent aquamarine. There is a small wooden pier with two little boats moored off them. — **Screenshot**

Did you know that Depp owns an entire village 17 miles away from the luxury destination of Saint-Tropez, France? It’s currently listed for $55 million because no one wanted to buy it when he listed it for $63 million.

Did you know that France currently has a housing crisis? In 2021, 300,000 people were officially houseless.

Joel Mandel also revealed that Depp paid $10,000 a day to his former security manager Jerry Judge that paid for a full team of guards who guarded Depp 24/7.

So between 1999 to 2016, Depp had unparalleled financial security, physical security, healthcare security, extreme luxury and fame and indulgence, but no charity, according to Joel Mandel.

When I think about all the poor and struggling people I know, I can’t even comprehend the privilege and disconnect of Johnny Depp’s lifestyle. I know people who are marginalized and made unsafe by patriarchy, racism, colonialism, capitalism, and how much those people could do with $600 million that wouldn’t include owning Indigenous islands or buying up entire French villages.

I’m sitting with these thoughts. Johnny Depp’s power and privilege backed by lots and lots of money with zero social responsibility or conscience is staggering to me.

I don’t know Johnny Depp and I’m really glad I don’t know Johnny Depp.