The Johnny Depp and Winona Ryder romance in Hollywood was one of the more cinematic ones, and as such was also tragic at its end. The young couple was the most talked about phenomenon of the early 90s and their appearances kept feeding into the paparazzi’s constant craving for sensationalism. Being quirky and creating fashion statements quickly became the couple’s iconic M.O.
To this day, their brief Hollywood love story remains a fascinating and introspective look into the life of the glitterati and the downfall caused by their intertwined fate with over-exposure in the media.
Johnny Depp, Winona Ryder & Their Grand Saga of Romance
When they were busy not being the “it” couple of Hollywood, Johnny Depp took Winona Ryder on a hunt across tattoo parlors of tinsel town which then consequently led to the infamous “Winona Forever” episode. Ryder later recalled in a 1991 interview with Rolling Stone:
“I sort of was in shock. I kept thinking it was going to wash off or something. I couldn’t believe it was real. I mean, it’s a big thing, because it’s so permanent!”
The couple got engaged mere months after they began dating. Their first meeting, of course, had to be described as love at first sight for Depp when he saw Ryder at the premiere of the 1989 biographical drama Great Balls of Fire! — “It was a classic glance, like the zoom lenses in ‘West Side Story,’ and everything else gets foggy.”
Johnny Depp later filmed Edward Scissorhands with the actress in 1990 at the height of their romance. Their relationship which transpired across 4 years came to an end in 1993 with Depp clarifying the role of the media in the finality of that decision:
“It’s very hard to have a personal life in this town. My relationship with Winona, it was my mistake to be as open as we were, but I thought if we were honest it would destroy that curiosity monster. Instead, it fed it, gave people license to feel they were part of it.”
The tattoo, although altered now, remains a significant marker of their relationship to this day and Depp often prides himself on wearing the letters like a journal instead of regretting the spontaneity of the moment.
Also read: The truth behind Johnny Depp and Winona Ryder’s Breakup
Is a Depp-Ryder Reunion Imminent With Beetlejuice 2?
For months, there have been rumors about a Beetlejuice 2 film in the making with the original cast and director returning to reprise their roles. Tim Burton, the goth genius narrator, will of course have to be on board alongside Michael Keaton and Winona Ryder, and the grapevine brings news of the addition of Johnny Depp to the trip of nostalgia. Ryder, who played the iconic goth Lydia Deetz in the 1988 film, commented about the ongoing rumors,
“I’m definitely excited and I’m really hopeful that it’ll happen. The only way we would do it is if everything was perfect and we had all the people – obviously Michael [Keaton] and obviously Tim [Burton].”
Also read: Is Johnny Depp Reuniting With Ex-Girlfriend Winona Ryder in Beetlejuice 2?
The addition of Johnny Depp to the cast definitely adds controversy to the already news-worthy remake of the 1988 movie. Besides touring with his band internationally and appearing as a hologram Moon Man during the MTV VMA 2022, Depp has remained significantly out of public sight after the jury verdict of his defamation trial against Amber Heard.
Although several Hollywood celebrities have backed the actor and supported his comeback to Hollywood, the tarnished legacy which has been left behind in the publicly televised courtroom drama between him and his former partner, Amber Heard, has made it difficult for the world to turn away from the obvious complications that come with his attachment to any big project that seeks to bring him back.
Source: Rolling Stone
