'Stranger Things' star Winona Ryder opens up on life after breakup with Johnny Depp, 'it was a rough time'
'Stranger Things' star Winona Ryder divulged some details about her life post the relationship with Johnny Depp in 1993. The 50-year-old said she was in "immense pain" in an interview with Harper's Bazaar. The relationship was quite high profile with the couple dating for four years before splitting.
They were also engaged for a time, during which Depp got Ryder's name tattooed on his arm. The tattoo read, "Winona Forever." Depp changed the tattoo to "Wino Forever" after the two called off the wedding. Ryder even delivered a witness statement defending Depp during his libel action against the British tabloid The Sun in 2020. "I knew Johnny very well years ago. We were together as a couple for four years, and I counted him as my best friend, and as close to me as family. I count our relationship as one of the more significant relationships of my life," she stated.
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Winona Ryder on her split with Johnny Depp: 'It was a rough time'
Per the New York Post, Ryder remembered actress Michelle Pfieffer's advice and guidance. This is going to pass.’ But I couldn’t hear it,” Ryder said. "I’ve never talked about it. There’s this part of me that’s very private. I have such, like, a place in my heart for those days. But for someone younger who grew up with social media, it’s hard to describe."
It all came to a head after the actress was arrested for shoplifting in 2001. "It’s so interesting when you look at the early aughts. It was a kind of a cruel time. There was a lot of meanness out there,” she said. “And then I remember coming back to LA and — it was a rough time. And I didn’t know if that part of my life was over." What's heartening to see was that despite the split, she was there for Depp when he needed her the most, with the Amber Heard saga being the latest. However, she seems to be in a much happier space now with boyfriend Scott Mackinlay Hahn who she's been dating since 2011
'Stranger Things' creators were all praising Ryder for being a constant source of support to the young actors on the sets of the blockbuster Netflix show. "She’s talked to the kids about what celebrity is like and how the press can be and the anxiety and confusion that comes along with celebrity,” said Ross Duffer.“I think she’s really helped them. I know she’s specifically helped Millie [Bobby Brown] a lot to work through that. And that’s something that no one else can help with, really, because so few people have experienced it. It’s not something I understand. It’s not something that, you know, even a parent would understand.”
Ryder will be seen reprising her role as Joyce Byers in 'Stranger Things' Season 4 Volume 2 set to release July 1 on Netflix.
