Johnny Depp Opens Up About Living a Quiet Life in the English Countryside

Johnny Depp is relishing the secluded life after experiencing a tumultuous legal battle with his ex-wife Amber Heard. His privacy was immensely violated during the public trial, and it looks like the veteran A-lister actor has finally found some peace away from the spotlight. 

According to Page Six, the Pirates of the Caribbean actor discussed in length with Somerset Life Magazine his quiet countryside lifestyle. In the candid interview Johnny Depp: The Hollywood A-Lister at Home in Somerset, he is quoted saying - “I just love places with character…British people are cool and will greet you as if you are a neighbor—without going over the top…I like going to places, seeing things, and meeting people—but I’m not the great extrovert that people think.”

He also describes himself as an introvert and his liking towards solitude- “In truth, I’m quite a shy person,” he said. “That is one of the great things about Britain, and especially Somerset. I can just be me—and that’s nice.” Daily Mail reports that Depp has been living in a rural 19th-century mansion that is spread over 850 acres. He apparently splurged £13 million on the Downton Abbey-style estate in the West Country, which features twelve bedrooms, eight bathrooms, and lush gardens.

He loves his privacy in the English countryside, where he often goes unrecognised. "I can go into shops without being surrounded by people wanting selfies. I don't mind that up to a point, but sometimes it gets a little too crowded." He continued,  “I don’t mind if people want an autograph or a brief chat but not when I am having some private time with my family.”

Earlier this month the Rum Dairy actor surprised the locals with an impromptu visit. Depp casually helicoptered into Lincolnshire, north of England, to visit an antique store. The store owner later mentioned that Depp purchased many eccentric items for his abode: “Many quirky items as well as some pieces of furniture for his own home in London." He was also obliged to pose with the owner and the staff working in the antique store and delighted them with a quick musical performance on an antique guitar. 

Since winning the highly publicized defamation lawsuit last year the Cry Baby actor has been keeping a low profile. The jury had ruled in favor of Depp in June after several weeks of back-and-forth in the court, and he was given $10 million in compensatory damages and $5 million in punitive damages. But eventually, the punitive damages were scaled back to the state's statutory maximum of $350,000. Depp eventually won the case, but Heard’s team has since filed an intent to appeal the jury verdict, which ordered her to pay Depp more than $10 million in damages. Depp was in the UK when the verdict came down, and he said in a statement: “The jury gave me my life back.”