Johnny Depp, Amber Heard Buy $16 Million Nashville Mansion

Johnny Depp just “ponied up” $16 million for a 19-room home in Nashville for he and his new girlfriend Amber Heard, his 26-year-old Rum Diary co-star

The Arizona Republic reports that Heard’s love of horse riding played a role in the purchase:

“Despite already owning four houses in Los Angeles, Johnny wants to write and play music in the Nashville countryside and he is keen to please equine enthusiast Amber, 26, who will love to ride horses in the rural spaces close to their new abode.”

Business Insider reports that Johnny Depp’s new Nashville 20,000 square-foot house “has four bedrooms, nine bathrooms, and sits on nearly 48 acres of land.”

According to some accounts Heard had a hand in the actor’s split from his longtime partner, Vanessa Paradis, with whom he has two children. Depp has been shelling out a lot of money on real estate lately; he spent about $4 million buying Paradis a new home in Los Angeles.

The Arizona Republic suggests that moving to Nashville takes the couple’s relationship to the next level:

“A source said: ‘Buying this house is the surest sign yet of how serious Johnny is about Amber.’

” ‘She’s always dreamt of having a ranch. They were going to buy one in Texas, where she’s from, but they fell in love with the Nashville property as soon as they set eyes on it.’ ”

Tennessee also has no state income tax. This may be significant given that Depp left France because of tax-related issues.

Depp is set to star in in the science fiction movie Transcendence, executive produced by Batman director Christopher Nolan.