Johnny Depp Opens Up About Cherished Years Raising Lily‑Rose and Jack in France

22 June 2025

Credit : Courtesy Lily-Rose Depp

Johnny Depp, the enigmatic actor whose personal life has often captured headlines, recently shared a rare and poignant reflection on fatherhood. In a heartfelt conversation with The Sunday Times published June 22, 2025, Depp revisited the early days of parenting Lily‑Rose and Jack with his former partner Vanessa Paradis while living in the south of France, a period he now remembers as an oasis of anonymity and familial warmth.

The moment that sparked the conversation was unassuming, a partially completed portrait of a 10‑year‑old Lily‑Rose hanging behind him during the interview. Depp glanced at it and sighed, revealing that he’d never finished the painting. At 62, he looked back at the years when “Papa” was his most cherished title, a term he fondly used before being replaced by the more distant “Dad.” He said he misses that phase deeply, declaring with a characteristic mix of humor and sincerity that perhaps it’s time someone started calling him Papa again.

That portrait is more than paint on canvas, it’s a reminder of life on their peaceful estate near Saint‑Tropez, a place Depp describes as the first time he ever felt truly at home. While much of Hollywood and life in the public eye often felt remote, that home grounded him in a way few other places have. Vanessa Paradis, who chose France for its low‑key environment, raised their children bilingually, emphasizing privacy and normalcy over celebrity glamour.

Looking back, Depp’s tone was wistful but resolute. “Years get away from us, don’t they?” he mused as he recalled the whirlwind of parenting two young children under the Provençal sun. He admitted feeling the pangs of empty‑nest syndrome after Lily‑Rose, now 25, and Jack, now 22, grew older and carved out lives across continents. He now splits his time between the U.K. and the Bahamas, places that offer comfort but not necessarily the belonging he found along the Côte d’Azur.

While Depp and Paradis separated in 2012 after fourteen years together, their decision to anchor family life in southern France left a lasting legacy. Vanessa underscored her desire to maintain a cloak of anonymity for their children in interviews as far back as 2007. “For my children, I secretly choose France,” she revealed at the time, citing the bliss of raising them out of the spotlight while they were young. Today, that decision is often cited as a rare moment of Hollywood families choosing long-term stability over fame.

The children’s upbringing translated into adulthood. Lily‑Rose, now a successful actress and model, often speaks with fondness about how her childhood allowed her to grow up both rooted and grounded. Meanwhile, Jack quietly transitioned into adulthood away from cameras, occasionally working jobs like bartending before returning to creative pursuits. Depp’s reflections reveal how deeply he internalized those early lessons in privacy, emotional safety, and cultural immersion.

Depp’s words carry added significance given his tumultuous journey over the past decade from legal battles and headlines to rebuilding his public image. In the interview, the nostalgia for “Papa days” feels more than remnant sentiment; it’s a reminder of his core identity, far more authentic than any public persona he’s had to navigate .

For fans and observers, the interview offers a rare glimpse behind the curtain, reminding the world that cordoning off fame is possible and sometimes essential. Depp’s nostalgic sentiments resonate because they reflect universal themes: the fleeting wonder of childhood, the pain of watching it slip away, and the universal wish to turn time backward, if only for a moment.

In an industry that often prizes image over introspection, Depp’s decision to foreground his role as a father instead of an actor suggests a keen awareness of legacy. The unfinished portrait echoes an unfinished chapter; and while careers launch and crash, parent‑child bonds remain enduring.

As Lily‑Rose and Jack establish lives in their own right, Depp’s statement carries forward. He remains an actor with a global presence, but this week we’re reminded that behind the cameras is a man who once quietly adored being “Papa” on a hill above Saint‑Tropez and misses it every day.