Depp made his debut in the horror film A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984), before rising to prominence as a teen idol on the television series 21 Jump Street (1987–1990)
In 2012, Depp was one of the world's biggest film stars, and was listed by the Guinness World Records as the world's highest-paid actor, with earnings of US$75 million.
From 2015 to 2017, Depp was married to actress Amber Heard. Their divorce drew media attention as Heard alleged that Depp had been abusive throughout their relationship.
In 2018, Depp claimed that Heard had abused him before he unsuccessfully sued the publishers of British tabloid The Sun for defamation under English law.
Depp later sued Heard for defamation in Virginia after she wrote an op-ed saying she was a public victim of domestic violence