Johnny Depp spoke candidly about his split from model and actress Vanessa Paradis last year, saying that his emphasis on maintaining honesty with his children prompted the separation.
Depp, 50, sat down with CBS Good Morning host Charlie Rose to discuss his latest project, Disney’s The Lone Ranger , in which he plays actor Armie Hammer’s sidekick, Tonto, a role he is happy to fill.
First and foremost, though, is the actor’s role as a father to son Jack, 11, and daughter Lily-Rose, 14. Depp said that when it came time for he and Paradis to split after 14 years together, the parents decided to approach the subject honestly with their two children.
"We were just very truthful with them and they were just incredibly understanding, incredibly accepting,” Depp said, according to People . “I was extremely proud of them, the way they dealt with it."
Depp explained that he views the honest approach to be the only approach when communicating with his children.
"When you have children, there is no room for lies, no room for anything but the truth. Anything other than that is a bad example, I believe," the actor explained of his parenting style.
Depp is currently dating Amber Heard, The Celebrity Cafe reports.
While he has a lot on his plate promoting his new film, Depp says he leaves plenty of time to spend time with his children, who he says forced him to grow up and behave responsibly.
“You know you start getting hit with some very interesting situations in life, you as a parent when they approach that teenage area,” Depp said. “Which is frightening because you still have memories of that age and the things you were doing at that age…. Please don't do what I did."
Image: Wikimedia Commons