I’m nearly certain that Johnny Depp really is one of the nicest celebrities out there. After his daughter Lily-Rose nearly died from E.coli blood poisoning last year, Depp didn’t just do the easy (yet still amazing) thing of donating money to the hospital as a thank you. Though he did give $2 million, he also did something far less common for someone with a great deal of money – he gave his time. Depp had his Pirates Of The Caribbean costume flown to London from Los Angeles and spent an afternoon visiting the children at the hospital wearing the costume.

Again proving his kindness and follow-through, Johnny sent a 12-year old boy his hat. He promised it to the boy after he met Depp while he was filming “Public Enemies” in Oshkosh, Wisconsin this past April. And he sent things for his four brothers and sisters, too.

The next time Jack Taylor takes his hat off to Johnny Depp, it actually will be Depp’s hat The 12-year-old southside resident received a package in the mail Thursday from Depp’s production company, Infinitum Nihil, containing a variety of “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory” promotional gifts along with a vintage fedora Depp told Taylor he could have when the “Public Enemies” star was in town in April for filming.

“All I really said was ‘Can I have your hat?’,” Taylor, who will start seventh grade at Grace Lutheran Church this fall, said. “And he said ‘When I’m done with it, it’s yours.’ He was actually pretty cool.”

Depp’s agent pulled enough merchandise to ensure Taylor and his siblings… each got a little something from what ranks as one of their favorite Depp movies along with “Pirates of the Caribbean.”

“It’s not exactly the easiest thing to make all five kids happy, but they did a good job. It’s finally nice to see a celebrity being nice and following through on his promises,” [mom] Kris Brand said. “He promised Jack his hat and he followed through. It’s really cool.” Jack’s new hat, a well-worn fedora that’s vintage in appearance, wasn’t the only personal item enclosed with the package. Depp also wrote Jack a short, personal note telling him to enjoy the hat and the cool “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory” stuff and signed it himself.

[From the Northwestern]

Like we couldn’t love Johnny Depp more. I don’t think I’ve heard anything less than good about the man in at least the last ten years. He also saved a group of extras from getting run over by a car while filming Public Enemies. Johnny behaves like all those Tom Cruise urban legends you used to hear about (Tom Cruise rescues a bunch of drowning orphans on his jet ski; Tom Cruise saves a woman on a runaway horse, etc) except that Johnny Depp actually does the awesome things, instead of paying his PR rep to spread good rumors.

Here’s Johnny at the Sweeny Todd premiere. Images thanks to PR Photos.

Tensions are running high in Johnny Depp’s relationship with longtime girlfriend Vanessa Paradis. Depp is currently filming Public Enemies with French actress Marion Cotillard, and according to many onset snoops, the chemistry between the two is more than palpable. Paradis is said to be quite jealous – and has good reason to be.

But industry insiders say French singer and actress Vanessa, 35, doesn’t like the way Johnny is warming up to 32-year-old Marion, who recently won an Oscar for her portrayal of French chanteuse Edith Piaf in “La Vie en Rose.”

“Vanessa is jealous over Marion. The chemistry between her and Johnny is blatantly evident to everyone,” revealed an insider. “Marion is very flirty with guys she likes - and she adores Johnny! She frequently gives him a hug and a peck on the cheek before they start filming - and I never see him push her away. Vanessa has always trusted Johnny, but she feels as if Marion is a crossing dangerous boundary by being so affectionate.”

[From the National Enquirer, June 9, 2008 print ed]

Cotillard is quite the notorious man stealer. In 2003 she had an affair with French actor Guillaume Canet, her leading man in the film “Love Me if You Dare.” Canet was married to actress Diane Kruger at the time. So Vanessa Paradis has reason to worry – probably not about Johnny, but Marion certainly doesn’t have a great track record in that regard.

Meanwhile, Vanessa’s jealousy threatens her rock-solid relationship with Johnny, who’s always had a reputation for being faithful. They’ve been together for 10 years and have two beautiful children - daughter Lily-Rose, 9, and Jack, 6.

“Vanessa and Johnny are still very much in love,” the source pointed out. “In fact, there’s been talk about them finally tying the knot this summer.

“Vanessa has been keeping close tabs on Johnny and they’ve even bickered over how much extra attention her gives to Marion between scenes. But Johnny has assured Vanessa that he only has eyes for her - and she has no need to worry.”

[From the National Enquirer, June 9, 2008 print ed]

Johnny Depp seems to be a pretty stand up guy. You never hear anything about him that isn’t good anymore. He certainly had has wild oat sewing days, but by all accounts he’s been nothing but committed to Vanessa for the ten years they’ve been together.

When their daughter Lily-Rose almost died from an infection last year, the two were said to grow even closer, and supposedly that’s when the really started contemplating marriage. I understand that when you’re with a famous, sexy actor you’re going to be a little nervous. Especially around an actress who has a reputation for man stealing. But it seems like if there’s any guy Vanessa should trust, it’s Johnny.

Here’s Marion Cotillard at the Oscars on February 8th. Header of Johnny Depp and Vanessa Paradis also at the Oscars. Images thanks to WENN.

Johnny Depp almost got edged out of his seminal role in Edward Scissorhands by none other than Tom Cruise. Prior to starring in fantasy suburban tale Edward Scissorhands, which came out in late 1990, Depp was primarily known as a hot detective on Fox’s 21 Jump Street and had a few small film roles along with his lead performance in Cry Baby, which came out in the Spring of 1990. Producers went back and forth between Cruise and Depp, and almost gave the role to Cruise, but ultimately realized that Depp was more suited to the quirky role:

Depp shot to fame when he landed the title role in Tim Burton’s 1991 fantasy epic, but insists producers were determined to cast A-list actor Cruise in the role.

The 44-year-old was a relative unknown at the time and admits he desperately wanted the job - but he was only hired after the team began to question Cruise’s suitability for such an edgy project.

He says, “They (movie bosses) were interested in me for the part, but had someone else in mind too. A few days later, they called me to say the studio preferred the other actor.

“(It was) Tom Cruise. I was really disappointed. From the moment I read the script, I knew I had to be in it. But I understood that the studio wanted a box office superstar.

“Then a miracle happened. My agent called to say they wanted me instead.

[From WENN via Hollywood.tv]

I thought Tom Cruise could only play jocks and jerks who reach a turning point and then find themselves, and maybe the producers realized that and took a chance on a newcomer who would go on to greatness. It’s hard to know whether Edward Scissorhands would have been the hit that it was with Cruise in the role, but it’s a good thing Depp got the role and built a friendship with director Tim Burton. Can you imagine if he remained on television instead?

Reports that Johnny Depp was offered $10 million to be the front man for Trojans Magnum condom range recently hit the gossip press. Oh yes, we all believe Johnny could fill the role. (Pun intended.)

The “Pirates of the Caribbean” star, 44, would be expected to appear in a series of offbeat TV commercials for the company’s new Magnum range, according to the Star

Sadly despite U.K.’s Daily Star and Fox News stories on the marriage of dirty pirate hotness and big boy prophylactics, it is not true. It is a damn shame. The rumor stated that the slogan ad executives were toying with was “Stand up with Johnny for Safer Sex.” Kinda lame, but cheers for the safe sex angle.

Sources close to Johnny stated that he was considering the job, but his reps vehemently deny his involvement with bthe rand. Depp is known for his humanitarian efforts and finds the promotion of safe sex to be vital and a positive influence. Yet there seems to be a lack of fact checking on someone’s part.

“There is no truth to this,” says the spokeswoman, Robin Baum. “He has not been approached.”

[Mixed Media]

Why don’t they just print Johnny’s face on the condoms? That should cause a demand for them that exceeds the cost of a potential lawsuit. Oh, come on! We all have the Jack Sparrow shivering-our-timbers fantasy.

Johnny Depp was filming 1930s gangster film “Public Enemies” in Wisconsin when his quick reactions possibly saved a group of extras from getting hit by a car. This story is likely exaggerated for effect, but I know Johnny Depp is capable of superhuman feats of heroism and I chose to believe it:

On location for his new flick in freezing Columbus, Wisconsin, Depp - standing by a country road ready to play a getaway scene as notorious Depression bank robber John Dillinger - went into action lightning-fast when a 1933 Ford came speeding toward the set, hit a patch of ice and slid out of control… aimed straight at half a dozen extras who had their backs turned! Instantly, Depp screamed: “Get out of the way…” and literally slammed into the group with arms outspread, shoving them all back just as the car slammed into the cub a few feet away.

[From The National Enquirer, print edition, Mike Walker’s column, April 7, 2008]

The article says that Depp was pissed and yelled at the driver for speeding on an icy road, and told him he’d have him fired if he did something like that again. Johnny Depp mad after saving people’s lives is almost as sexy as Johnny Depp silent and smoldering.

Depp has directed the latest music video from his longterm girlfriend and the mother of his two children, French singer Vanessa Paradis. He appears as a shadowy figure throughout this video, and the video makes it seem as if she’s performing just for him. You never quite see his face, but the song is lovely and the video is well done so it’s worth seeing. Thanks to Lainey Gossip for linking this.

In related Johnny Depp news, there’s also the smirk-inducing story that Trojan condoms has offered him $10 million to front an ad campaign for them in the US. That story originated in the Daily Star and I doubt it is even remotely true. The title for the article claims it’s £38 million, but the actual article says he’s been offered $10 million USD. Whichever number they claim, it’s probably made up like the “extra saving” story, but I want to believe that one.

Johnny Depp and Vanessa Paradis are shown at the Oscars this year.

Sometimes a strange piece of information crosses my path, like the fact the David Hasselhoff and ex-wife Pamela Bach are fighting over an antique barber’s chair. Pamela obviously doesn’t want the Hoff to have it, since she won’t let him back on the property to claim it. This seems like a strange thing to fight over, but then I realized that if anyone tried to make off with my Troll Doll collection I’d feel exactly the same way!

Fortunately for the Hoff, Johnny Depp, the Demon Barber of Fleet Street, has a spare antique barber’s chair for him.

The Hoff, 55, has been fighting ex-wife Pamela Bach, 44, for for the right to return to her LA home to collect an antique barber’s chair.

But Johnny, 44, has saved him the bother by giving him the original throne used in his movie Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street instead.

Hasselhoff’s lawyer, Melvin S. Goldsman, said: “David is just so pleased to have the matter behind him.”

Daily Star

I know that this is a British tabloid and not the most reliable source, but this is probably the most interesting thing I’ve heard of in a long time. As far as I know the Hoff and the sexiest man alive (in my opinion) have no particular connection, unless it’s that the Depp children love the Spongebob Squarepants movie. It features the Hoff, making good fun of himself.

The next question I have to ask is, what do you do with an antique barbers chair? Are they comfortable to sit in? Do you have your own barber shop set up at home complete with barber’s pole? Or do you just like quirky antiques? A barber pole is actually red and white striped because barbers used to perform surgery for people, which in unsophisticated times was just draining blood from someone. The bandages would get stained red and be hung outside to dry, which is why we have a red and white barber’s pole. It’s amazing the little bits of trivia you can find online.

Note by Celebitchy: This story sounds too random to be true, especially considering the source.

Update: According to the March 24 issue of In Touch, a rep for The Hoff says this story is not true, and that’s a shame.

Johnny Depp has appeared on the cover of Rolling Stone six times, once as Captain Jack Sparrow, his character in Pirates of the Caribbean, and once with his co-star in the film, legendary Rolling Stones guitarist Keith Richards. Some new outtakes of his latest photo shoot with the magazine have hit the web, and they’re predictably gorgeous. Depp is the January 28 cover boy, and in his interview he talked about his lifelong love of music and how he started playing the guitar at age 12.

Rolling Stone has over 50 photos online of Depp throughout the years. He is shown posing with June Carter Cash and Johnny Cash in 1993 at the infamous Viper Room club he owned, performing on stage with The Butthole Surfers, as well as getting his star on the Walk of Fame in 1999 and being immortalized in cement in front of Grauman’s Chinese Theater in 2005. It’s a nice retrospective of his life since he became famous.

Thanks to ONTD for these photos.

Johnny Depp always manages to expertly skirt that fine line between keeping his private life close to his manly chest while remaining a massive star beloved by the public. Depp recently said that after he gave some sort-of revealing interviews about his family a few years ago he was schooled by Marlon Brando to not reveal much about his private life, whose advice he took to heart.

There were two sets of photos of Depp and his family that came out from the same agency recently that made me shake my head. One was of Johnny’s partner, Vanessa Paradis, at Disney Land with their two children, Lilly Rose, 8, and Jack, 5. Paradis looked mighty annoyed that photographers were taking pictures of her children, and Johnny has made it clear that his children are off limits and that he will confront any photographer that takes photos of them. It’s a good thing he wasn’t there. Another set was of Johnny confronting paparazzi after they followed him around LA while he was scouting locations for a film.

If Johnny Depp says he doesn’t want his children’s photos taken, we will not publish them. If he’s pissed at the paparazzi and thinks they’re out of line, we won’t publish those photos either. Other stars can make demands, but nothing quite elicits a response like a request from moderately-humble and almost always gracious Depp.

Depp gave a general but very glowing interview in the latest In Touch about his family. He just sounds like a great dad and protective of his children and family:

Q: You’re such a famous actor — how important is your family in keeping you grounded?
A: My family is my sanctuary. I live for them. I finally found a reason to exist in this world. There’s nothing like it. I would give away everything if I could only keep my family. They have given me life, and they’re the greatest gift in the world. ”

Q: How do you keep your romance with Vanessa so strong?
A: I think trust is the most important thing in a relationship, along with the ability to communicate honestly with each other. Once communication stops, that waylays danger.

Q: You and Vanessa never married — do you think you will at some point?
A: We have considered ourselves husband and wife since the day we moved in together. We just haven’t gone through the formality.

Q: How do you feel about having to raise your children in today’s uncertain world?
A: As a parent, my job, besides giving them love and education, is to protect them by not allowing the harsh realities and difficulties of our world into theirs. You’ve got these pure, innocent little things, and all they want is love and happiness.

Q: You move around with your family a lot, having lived in LA and France. Have you always been such a free spirit?
A: Yes. It has to do with my upbringing. I don’t like to be stuck in one place for too long. We were total nomads when I was growing up. We traveled around all the time. It’s ingrained in my being. I think it’s good for kids to get out there and see the world.

Q: You’ve been working a lot lately. What would be your dream vacation?
A: Running around on the beach with the kids and taking them out on the boat. I want to take them swimming with dolphins, though hopefully not with sharks!

[From In Touch, print edition, via Taylors’ Entertainment News]

So somehow Johnny always confirms what people think about him, and reveals just enough to let us into his world without ruining the mystery. Unlike other celebrities, we rarely know when and where he goes on vacation and especially not his daily whereabouts. Matt Damon is another A-list actor who has managed to keep his family life under wraps in this era of digital and instantaneous news. Damon has said that we didn’t get every last detail on the Hollywood greats of decades past, and we don’t need that kind of news about his generation, either.

We wouldn’t have much to talk about if we weren’t privy to all this private and often-fabricated information about the celebrities, but there’s also a gender bias in the news, as Helen covered a couple of days ago. Male celebrities who have non-famous partners seem to have an advantage in that the tabloids don’t pick them apart like they do female celebrities.

Johnny Depp is seen at the Sweeney Todd premiere in Paris on 1/16/08, thanks to PRPhotos.

When I first read this story I thought it must have been something cooked up by a journalist with an overactive imagination, and it very well might be, but movie site Ain’t It Cool News is reporting that the director of the film Heath Ledger left unfinished when he died, The Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus, has three big names in mind to take over for his character. Since the film is a fantasy in which Ledger’s character could easily change into someone else, all three replacement actors may pay tribute to Heath with performances:

Have I mentioned how much I love this idea? Because I do. I think it’s beautiful that the script loaned itself to this sort of idea, that we’re going to see Heath Ledger’s work in Terry Gilliam’s new film, and that we’re also going to see three very interesting actors step up to offer interpretations of him as a way of paying one final tribute to this actor whose career was cut so sadly short.

We’ve heard rumors about who might be stepping in, but now we’ve got the names verified. Count on it.

JOHNNY DEPP.

JUDE LAW.

COLIN FARRELL.

Nice choices, Gilliam. Can’t wait to see what happens inside the IMAGINARIUM OF DR. PARNASSUS, and I’d love to get a look at the script they’re going to use as they start this next stretch of shooting on the film.

[From Ain’t It Cool News]

Ain’t It Cool News has a good reputation for getting insider information on films and this could be true. About three weeks ago unreliable British source The Sun wrote that Imaginarium director Terry Gilliam wanted Johnny Depp to take over Heath’s part. There’s a scene in which Heath’s character falls through a magic mirror, and Cinematical quotes a studio source as saying “He could change into another character after that and that is where Johnny would come in.”

Back when that story came out, the movie was in shutdown mode following the death of Ledger, and workers on the film thought it wouldn’t come back. The star of the film, Christopher Plummer, has said that Heath’s final scenes would be created using CGI imagery, and he did suggest that other actors would be used. He is quoted as saying that “Because the film deals with magic, there is a way of turning Heath into other people, and then use stills and computer generated imagery.”

Maybe Heath’s character will get turned into three other top actors. It’s exciting to think that Depp, Law and Farrell might play in this film. I bet Daniel Day Lewis would be happy to be involved too, as he dedicated his SAG Award to Heath and seemed to be very affected by his death.

The evocative header image was created by /film.

In March of ‘07 Johnny Depp’s seven-year-old daughter Lily-Rose was rushed to hospital with E.coli blood poisoning, and stayed for nine days before she made a full recovery. Johnny Depp has spoken of her illness, telling Entertainment Weekly “To say it was the darkest moment, that’s nothing.” He also said every milli-second of having his daughter well was like a celebration. Now he’s truly celebrated with the staff who took care of her at Great Ormond Street Hospital.

He arrived unexpectedly (yesterday) at the London children’s hospital where eight-year-old Lily-Rose was treated last year when her kidneys failed.

Last week he invited five Great Ormond Street doctors and nurses to the party for the London premiere of his film Sweeney Todd.

And on November 29, unknown to the public, Depp spent four hours at the hospital telling bedtime stories to patients dressed as Captain Jack Sparrow after having his Pirates Of The Caribbean costume flown over from Los Angeles.

The Daily Mail

The newspaper also adds that he Johnny Depp and partner Vanessa Paradis donated £1 million pounds to the hospital, which needs to raise £170 million over five years to redevelop the hospital site. Disney, makers of Pirates of the Carribbean, also donated £10 million.

Now, the Daily Mail isn’t always the most reliable source, but I think that making a generous thanks to the people who saved your child’s life is something that any parent would do, just not all of them could afford to be so generous. But I think if you could afford £1 million then you would give it, because what price is your child’s health?

The donation, coupled with Johnny Depp’s Captain Jack appearance, just makes him all the more appealing. Swoon. So appealing that when he recently purchased a penthouse apartment in a building that wasn’t selling well, just news of his investment sent demand for other apartments in the same complex through the roof. And who wouldn’t want to live under the same roof as Johnny Depp?

Johnny last night at the Golden Globes (the less-than-glamorous night that it was) won a Globe for Best Actor in a Musical or Comedy. He will be receiving his award in the mail.

Picture note by Celebitchy: Johnny Depp is shown at the UK premiere of Sweeney Todd on 1/10/08, thanks to PRPhotos and WENN.