nov 4, 2016 - Johnny Depp Opens Up About Death of His Beloved Mother, Betty Sue

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FROM VANITY FAIR:

Johnny Depp Opens Up About Death of His Beloved Mother, Betty Sue

“She was a hellcat. She was mean, but she was funny.”

BY JULIE MILLER
NOVEMBER 4, 2016

This past May, Johnny Depp lost his mother, Betty Sue, to what was reported as “a long illness.” At the time, the private star did not comment on the loss—and the devastating event was quickly overshadowed in tabloid headlines by the news that Amber Heard had filed for divorce from the actor. But on Thursday night, while being honored for his support of cancer patients, the actor opened up about his beloved mother’s battle.
“She was a hellcat,” Depp told audience members (per People), as he accepted the Rhonda’s Kiss Healing and Hope Award. Speaking about Betty Sue and her relationship with the tireless medical team who treated her, Depp said, “She was mean, but she was funny. The amount of care and love she received from every member of the staff and the brilliant and dedicated specialists who tirelessly gave of themselves far beyond the call of duty, I am truly humbled by this kindness. Their kindness and your infinite knowledge, doctors and specialists.”

“My mom and her family would have been very much lost in the darkness without these people,” Depp continued, without specifying the illness from which his mother suffered. “We’ll always owe them a deep debt of gratitude that is virtually impossible to repay.”

Depp, who has his mother’s name tattooed on his inner arm, took Betty Sue to the Oscars in 2004, when he received his first acting nomination.

During Depp’s acceptance speech, he also discussed another deeply personal subject—his daughter Lily-Rose Depp’s 2007 hospitalization, after contracting an E. coli infection that caused kidney failure, when she was only seven years old.

“I lived in the [London] hospital for three weeks with my girl [Depp’s longtime ex-girlfriend Vanessa Paradis] and my kid, not knowing if she was going to make it or not. Parents, please note that you have my utter respect. Please note that you have all my respect, and you have my promise to continue to fight, this noble fight right alongside you at any time.
“And, we’ll just never give up,” Depp said. “It’s as simple as that.”

This past September, Rhonda’s Kiss executive director Kyle Stefanski explained why the organization was giving the award to Depp, the Pirates of the Caribbean star who has made surprise visits to children’s hospitals over the years in costume as his character Captain Jack Sparrow. “Johnny lends his name, uses his time, and makes donations to causes that positively impact those in the most need, especially in the field of cancer. . . . Raising money for cancer is a reminder that every day, people are struggling with the disease and need the support to maintain their dignity and fight.”

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