Johnny Depp says the only place he feels normal is on his private island

Her

BY Callum Boyle

‘That’s my only freedom’

Last week, news emerged that Johnny Depp has returned as the face of Dior.

Depp announced his return with a new advert called The Call of The Blazing Sun of Savage Eau de Toilette, in which he can be seen reciting poetry as well as hanging out by a beach and desert landscape.

He says: “An eagle cries as it circles its prey. The blazing sun high in the ozone blue sky.

“A trail of cold wind stirs a land of dry wood and stone. This is the call of Sauvage.”

While out and about promoting the new Sauvage ad Depp gave a little insight into his interests these days, specifically saying that he loves spending time in the Bahamas because he can feel “normal” there.

The Hollywood A-lister said that he particularly enjoys being on his own private island as it feels like a “sanctuary” where he can be free and “escape scrutiny”.

He explained to the South China Morning Post: “Where I feel the most myself in this world, and where I go to feel absolutely normal, I suppose, is my place in the Bahamas, because it’s an island and nobody’s looking at me.

“You’ve got to have some sanctuary, a safe place where you can escape the scrutiny and the interest of others, a place where you can just sit on a beach, read, paint, meditate or whatever, that’s freedom to me. That’s the only real freedom.”

He added that being in the ocean makes him feel refreshed, saying: “The idea of being under, just free in the ocean, with the wind pounding against you, the sun pounding down on you, and the shimmery ripples across the water, sparkles everywhere … It cleanses your mind.

“The thing that intrigues me most is the most basic, the simplest way of living. I don’t have a decadent lifestyle. Yes, everything boils down to real simplicity for me. When you’re on the island, you’re not at some swanky hotel. It doesn’t look like the Four Seasons or anything. It should look like what it is. It should look like a simple island house. Nothing grand, nothing. Just simplicity.”

It was confirmed just months ago that Depp had signed the alleged biggest deal ever with Dior for men’s fragrances.

Following his massively publicised trial with Amber Heard, which ended last year, there were question marks around Depp’s future with Dior.

However these questions were all put to an end when it was reported that Depp was set to earn $20 million in a three-year deal with the brand.

Speaking at the time he said: “I’ve never been more touched or prouder to have had that support. Nobody does that, and the fact Dior has, I thank every single person involved in making the decision to trust me and stick with me all the way from the bottom to the top and back down.

“I will forever be in their debt; I will forever be loyal.”