Return to Interview page

2/17/04 - The Star
Star Spy
Johnny Depp & Vanessa Paradis
Their Real Life Revealed!

Johnny is as elusive as he is talented. For the first time, Star reveals how he and his family live their lives out of the limelight.

The Oscar race is on! And Johnny Depp is up for the coveted best actor award for his eccentric turn as the character Jack Sparrow in Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl. So is he toasting the town in Hollywood over his nomination? Nah. He'd rather spend time with his girlfriend of six years, French pop singer/model Vanessa Paradis, and their two children in France.

Thought not married, Depp, 40, and Paradis, 31, now have two children -- Lily Rose, 4, and Jack John, who turns two in April -- and live in a $2 million Mediterranean mansion on the Cote d'Azur, as well as a smaller home in Paris. And Depp, who fell for France while filming 1999's The Ninth Gate, loves every inch of his new home country. "Paris is a great metropolis, a huge city, but when you get out into the small villages, the warmth of the people is incomparable," Depp has said. "Do I think I'll stay in France for the rest of my life? At the moment I do, honestly."

WHERE THEY GO OUT
Johnny first spotted Vanessa in 1998 at the posh Hotel Costes K, which is situated on Avenue Kleber, not far from the Champs-Elysee in Paris. The hotel is so exclusive that the front doors are flanked by two black-clad security personnel with walkie-talkies who intercept visitors. The famous can sometimes be seen darting through a secluded side entrance. "We would prefer that the public doesn't know about the famous people who come here," a hotel source said. "Otherwise, they might stop coming."

But Depp is much more down to earth, and anyone can sit at one of his tables at his Paris restaurant/bar Man Ray, also located just off the Champs-Elysee. Depp still owns the infamous Viper Room in Hollywood, but finds himself in Paris far more often.

"We had Scorsese and Leo DiCaprio here when Gangs of New York came out," an insider tells Star about Man Ray's A-list clientele. "Quentin Tarantino had his premiere party here for Kill Bill."

When at Man Ray, Johnny and Vanessa are commonly found draped around one of the two circular lounge tables that are topped with three stone Buddha heads. The menu includes one of Vanessa's faves, Chateaubriand steak with shitake mushrooms and wasabi sauce for $22.50, and Johnny's $18 Cuisse de Vollaille en Brochette Laquee aux Epices et Figues (that's roasted chicken thighs in sweet dumplings, glazed with spices and figs).

After dinner, the couple will sometimes slip to nearby nightspots like the Buddha Bar, which is just down the road from Man Ray, about a mile away on the Rue d'Anglais.

WHERE THEY SHOP
A few steps past the Buddha Bar is the Rue du Faubourg St. Honore, the tony street where the palace of the French president and the city's most exclusive shops lie. Vanessa is a fan of the Chnel store, which is not surprising, seeing that she modeled in a series of Chanel ads in the '90s.

But the big-name labels don't seem to be what keep this couple and their two children happiest.

"It's wonderful to get back to France and be living in a tiny village with nothing around," Depp said after moving abroad. "There is still the possibility to live the simple life. You can go to the market, walk about, buy fruits and vegetables -- the things they did 100 and 200 years ago." --JP Shore

(yep it says tony street in the mag)

There are 3 main pics left to right. 1. Compatibly Eccentric Couple
In a move away from their more eccentric tastes, Johnny and girlfriend Vanessa arrived in style at January's Critic's Choice Awards in L.A.
2. Depp and Paradis at the Golden Globes on Jan. 25
3. Depp as Jack Sparrow in Pirates of the Caribbean

Also there is a sidebar entitled HOW JOHNNY LIVES with lots of small pics:
WHERE THEY HANG: Johnny spends a lot of time in Paris nightspot Buddha Bar, above, a two-level restaurant with an oversized gold Buddha statue in the center of it. (pic of Buddha Bar entrance)
WHERE THEY EAT: Johnny co-owns the restaurant Man Ray, above, with actors Sean Penn and John Malkovich, and often sits with Vanessa in his private booth, below. (Pic of Man Ray entrance and of JD's booth)
WHERE THEY MET: Johnny met stunning Vanessa at the Hotel Costes K, below, in June 1998. They'v ebeen together ever since. (Pic of the Hotel's entrance)
WHERE THEY SHOP: Vanessa is a fan of the shops on the ritzy Rue du Faubourg St. Honore, and has often visited the Chanel store, above. It's home to the famous Chanel No. 5 scent ($90 for .25 oz). (Pic of the Chanel shop)
WHERE THEY LIVE: Johnny and Vanessa own this $2 million mansion near St. Tropez, left, where there's plenty of room for their two children -- Lily Rose, 4, and Jack John, almost 2 -- to play in their yard, below. (Pics of the mansion, of the kid's swing set, and of JD & VP walking their two kids in 2002.)