Johnny Depp Calls Himself a Pedestrian and Not an Atheist — All about His Beliefs

“Pirates of the Caribbean” star Johnny Depp, who is in the middle of a legal dispute with ex-wife Amber Heard, doesn’t consider himself an atheist but a “pedestrian.”

Born in 1963, Johnny Depp is considered one of the most versatile actors in Hollywood for his outstanding performances in films like “Finding Neverland,” “Sweeney Todd,” and “Pirates of the Caribbean.”

One of his movies, “Transcendence,” is particularly interesting as it raises existential questions about identity, consciousness, and life after death – topics that Depp discussed in 2014.

JOHNNY DEPP’S OPINION ON RELIGION

The actor made it clear that he didn’t think there’s any sort of existence after death. He then pointed out he was not an atheist but a “pedestrian” who believed in “where we are right now.” Depp added:

"There are all kinds of angles, right? Is there a god? I don't know. Have you seen him? I haven't seen him."

When it comes to believing in things we cannot see – like God – Depp doesn’t seem too convinced. He made an analogy about having an aardvark hanging over his head that nobody but he could see.

The “Alice in Wonderland” actor confessed that he didn’t say that to be “facetious” or treat such a serious topic with humor; it’s just that “everyone has their own kind of thing.”

JOHNNY DEPP’S SPIRITUALITY

Johnny Depp also revealed that he did have what people know as “spirituality.” In fact, he has “a great many beliefs” but chooses not to “hang [his] hat” on one particular thing.

He said he didn’t look negatively upon organized religions as people are free to believe in what they want. The actor added that he’d be “pleasantly surprised” if, after dying, he ended up in a “killer place” instead of just dirt and worms.

Johnny Depp and Amber Heard’s dispute is far from over.

Depp has a firm opinion about faith and religion, and he has imparted some of his beliefs to his two children, Lily-Rose and Jack, whom he shares with French actress and singer Vanessa Paradis.

The actor, who once told Larry King that religion was not his specialty, revealed that, when his kids were younger, they would ask him about God, and he would respond:

“I told them to look at the grass, take a deep breath, look up at the sky and clouds, and that all that was god. And to look in the mirror and that was god too.”

Although he preferred to call himself a “pedestrian,” he was scheduled to speak at The Reason Rally, one of the most important gatherings of atheist and nonreligious people in the States.

In May 2016, about one month before the event took place, he backed out. At the time, Johnny Depp and Amber Heard began their highly-publicized divorce with her accusing him of physical abuse.

DEPP AND HEARD’S DIVORCE

The “Aquaman” actress, who obtained a temporary restraining order against Depp, claimed that he physically harmed her, usually while under the influence of drugs or alcohol.

In August 2016, the former couple reached a $7-million settlement out of court in which she withdrew her request for a domestic violence restraining order and rescinded her spousal support request of $50,000 a month.

The money heard received from the divorce was donated to charity, and the divorce became final in 2017. However, Johnny Depp and Amber Heard’s dispute is far from over.

In December 2018, the actress wrote an op-ed saying that she was physically abused, and although she didn’t mention Depp by name, he sued her for $50 million for defamation.

At the moment, Heard and Depp’s case is still ongoing. Some of his previous romantic partners, like Winona Ryder and Vanessa Paradis, have defended him by saying they couldn’t believe he was a violent person.

Still, Warner Bros. asked him to resign from his role as Grindelwald in the forthcoming “Fantastic Beasts” film, and he accepted. This legal dispute definitely put a huge stain on Johnny Depp’s reputation.