'Cancelled' Johnny Depp's secret new life in rural Sussex revealed... and the REAL reason he snubbed the Cotswolds

Daily Mail​

3 days ago

Johnny Depp is renting a stunning historic country mansion in the heart of the East Sussex countryside, MailOnline can reveal.
The Hollywood star has chosen rural England over Hollywood as he looks to enjoy a quieter life following a tumultuous five years dominated by his explosive legal battle with ex-wife Amber Heard.
Depp, 62 has been spotted by locals enjoying country walks around his manorhouse home and strolling along the high street in Wadhurst, a town near to his lavish pile.
It's believed Depp fell in love with the area when visiting his rock star pal Jeff Beck who stood by him throughout his battle with Heard - even inviting him on stage to play guitar - when other former friends dropped him.
A local source confirmed to MailOnline: 'Mr Depp knows this area well and he loves it here, it's a beautiful home and very peaceful.'
The historic ten-bedroom property, which looks like it could provide the set for a costume drama film adaptation, dates from the 1850s.
It is bordered by giant trees high fences and CCTV cameras.
It is located along a little used country lane and is accessed via an ornate iron gate that leads to a sweeping gravel drive lined with Gothic statues and flowers.
The detached home boasts a celebrated sunken gardens with the grounds also containing an open amphitheatre, water features, orchards and two cottages for the use of staff.
Depp has been enjoying breakfast on a terrace that looks out onto rolling Sussex hills, it's understood.
He was recently chauffeured from his new home to the premiere of his new film, Modigliani: Three Days On The Wing Of Madness as he looks to make his Hollywood return marking his first time directing since 1997.
The film follows the life of Italian artist Amedeo Modigliani and is set in WWI-era Paris and features Riccardo Scamarcio in the lead and Al Pacino in a supporting role.
But Depp arrived late for his own party with his representatives blaming the long drive from East Sussex to Central London.
A local resident said: 'He's been spotted out and about and we've heard that there's quite a lot of security at the house now. Everybody is talking about Johnny Depp living in our area because it's normally very quiet and not much happens around here.'
The Anglophile actor's decision to move to the Home Counties was first reported by The Daily Mail's Alison Boshoff - but only now has his choice of property been revealed.
Depp's best friend, the late guitarist Jeff Beck lived in the vicinity and the actor stayed with him in his 16th Century farmhouse during the Covid pandemic.
Beck, who died two years ago, left a widow Sandra, who still lives in the property, and Depp has been spending time with her since moving into the area.
But there may be other reasons for the actor's decision to relocate to a low-profile corner of East Sussex rather than The Cotswolds, the popular choice for most celebrities looking for a home in the English countryside.
If Depp had opted for The Cotswolds like many of his A list contemporaries, then he would have found himself living alongside 'woke glitterati' such as US talk show host Ellen De Generes who recently revealed that she moved to the UK because of Donald Trump.
Others would have included the likes of Lily Allen, Kate Winslet, Hugh Grant and Stella McCartney with sources indicating that given Depp's notoriety in recent years - which he has said led to attempts to have him 'cancelled' - it might have made it difficult for him to fit in and be accepted.
One showbiz figure told us: 'I think Johnny's choice of a very quiet corner of Sussex rather than the goldfish bowl that the Cotswolds has become for big stars tells you all you need to know about his mindset: he wants peace and quiet.
'And he has no interest in being judged by the kind of people he feels have walked away from him in the past.'
Depp famously lost the libel action which he brought at the UK High Court in 2020, after being called a 'wife beater', but successfully brought a libel action against Heard in a US court in 2022.
But despite the latter result, his reputation took a battering with his stock as one of the world's leading actors dramatically falling amid sensational headlines of domestic abuse, sexual violence, drug taking and excessive drinking – not exactly something that would appeal to some of the illustrious 'woke folk' that could have been his neighbours in The Cotswolds.
The whole ordeal with Heard threatened his entire career as he was dropped from a star role in the Harry Potter spin-off film series 'Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore,' as Hollywood turned its back on him. He was also dropped by Disney in his role as Captain Jack Sparrow from the sixth edition of 'Pirates of the Caribbean.'
He recently admitted in a media interview: 'I was shunned, dumped, booted, deep-sixed, cancelled, however you want to define it.'
Referring to the Heard trials he said: 'I fought it because had I not then I wouldn't have been me. Would I rather have not gone through that? Of course. But I learned more than I ever dreamed I could.'
A source revealed: 'A lot has gone on for Johnny over the past few years and perhaps The Cotswolds wouldn't have bene a good fit for him. It's obviously the place to be for celebrities but he's now at the point where he wants to rebuild his career and do his own thing.'
His new home is owned by Prudence Watts, 74, a multi-millionaire property developer who also owns a number of other properties in the area as well as a popular local garden centre.
Her husband, Kevan Watts, who passed away in 2018, was a highly respected international banker and former board member of Tottenham Hotspur.
He previously served as a private secretary in the Treasury in the late 1970s before leaving the Civil Service to join Meryl Lynch, where he made his fortune and is credited with turning the company into a major global force in deal making.
He and Prudence met when they were 17 when he came to open an account at a local bank where she worked.
They have three children and following his passing she revealed: 'We came from basic beginnings. We were provincial people and that never really changed.'
It is also not known how much rent Depp is paying but according to local estate agents, comparable properties can fetch anything between £30,000-£40,000 per month.
One told MailOnline: 'The Wattses are very well known around here and have a lot of property and business interests in the area. They like to do things discreetly and most people know them for the garden centre that Prudence runs.
'Not much is known about the manor house but it's been with them for quite a long time and is one of the finest homes in this whole area. Whatever the rent is, it's not going to be cheap.'
Residents of Wadhurst revealed that Depp has been seen going into a local butchers and newsagents, but his presence has caused little shock.
Frank Cummins said: 'I saw him walking along the high street with a couple of men, I think they were his bodyguards, but nobody bothered him. He's been around this area before so it's no big deal for us.
'He seems like a really nice, down to earth bloke and I think being in East Sussex will do him some good.'
Mary, who has lived close to Wadhurst all her life said: 'I must admit I'm a big fan despite some of the stuff that came out about him during the trials. But none of us are perfect, not even Johnny Depp. If I see him again, I'm going to make sure that I have a selfie with him, I'm sure he won't mind.'