Johnny Depp Vs. France

Are Johnny Depp and his long-time girlfriend living on different continents because of a break-up, or is there a more compelling explanation?

It seems Mr. Depp may be involved in a bit of a dispute with France over a little matter of money.

Although the Oscar nominated actor has been happily residing on his 45 acre estate in France for the better part of 13 years, raising a family and tending to his gardens, each year the tax on his extensive income (estimated to be $75 million between June 2009 and June 2010 alone) has been going to America.

The native Kentuckian, who has never been shy when it comes to expressing his disdain for American culture, is adamant about keeping his U.S. citizenship, despite the fact that the Depp family is reportedly descended from French nobleman Pierre Deppe (or Dieppe), who immigrated to the States around 1700, settling in Virginia.

In an interview with Decca Aitkenhead of the Guardian back in November 2011 (Johnny Depp: ‘I’m not ready to give up my American citizenship’), Mr. Depp let it be known that France had issued him an ultimatum: if you reside in France for more than 183 days out of the year, you will need to start paying your taxes to us. His response seems to have been to return to America. Will this lead to a break-up between him and French actress and singer Vanessa Paradis ? Possibly. Ms. Paradis and the couple’s two children, Lily-Rose, 12, and Jack, 9, are all French citizens. If Mr. Depp’s intention is to grow old with his beautiful babies’ momma on his idyllic French estate (with or without a marriage certificate), why not just trade in that American citizenship for true Frenchman status? Then again, maybe it really is just about the money. Although it’s highly unlikely that Mr. Depp, whose latest movie, “The Rum Diary”, (the first to be released through his own production company), has grossed nearly $24 million worldwide (slightly more than half of the original $45 million production budget), would have to pay full taxes to both countries, even if he lived in France year-round, while keeping his U.S. citizenship, due to tax treaties between the two countries, he would have to pay the higher rate of the two, which would be France’s. But it does seem odd that he wouldn’t want his hard earned money to go to the country that has provided him with the life, and family, that he enjoys so much.
Apparently France feels the same way.


People also view

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *