Johnny Depp reflected on his troubled childhood, revealing alleged abuse by his late mom, Betty Sue Palmer. In a new interview, he described harsh treatment at home and said those early experiences shaped how he raises his own children today.

Johnny Depp talks about his mom’s alleged abuse in childhood

Johnny Depp has opened up about the alleged abuse he endured from his late mother, Betty Sue Palmer, and how it shaped his approach to parenting.

In a July 2025 interview with The Telegraph, the actor said, “She beat me with a f—ing stick, a f—ing shoe, an ashtray, a phone, it didn’t matter, man.” Despite the trauma, Depp added, “I thank her for that. She taught me how not to raise kids. Just do the exact opposite of what she did.”

Palmer died in 2016 at age 81. Depp, father to Lily-Rose, 26, and Jack, 23, with ex Vanessa Paradis, said the experience helped him decide what kind of parent he wanted to be. During his 2022 defamation trial against Amber Heard, Depp previously testified about Palmer’s “violent” and “cruel” behavior, noting he tried to “stay out of the line of fire.”

He described the emotional toll, stating, “The verbal abuse, the psychological abuse, was almost worse than the beatings. The beatings were just physical pain. The physical pain, you learn to deal with.” He also recalled Palmer throwing household items, including ashtrays and high-heeled shoes, and said she would often hit her children in the head.

Depp’s sister, Christi Dembrowski, also testified about their shared experiences. She said, “She would hit us. She would throw things.” Dembrowski confirmed Depp never retaliated, saying, “He never went to that place.” She added that both siblings decided early on not to replicate their childhood environment in their own homes.

Dembrowski noted that Palmer “softened” later in life before her death in May 2016. Depp and Palmer were seen together publicly at events such as the 76th Academy Awards in 2004, indicating a later-life reconciliation.