Johnny Depp and Winona Ryder Were Once a Hollywood It-Couple — Why Did They Break Up?

There are new flames, and then there are old. Among Johnny Depp’s past romances sits the name of a widely known and talented actress — Winona Ryder. Johnny and Winona dated after his relationship with Jennifer Grey in 1989 but before his romance with Ellen Barkin, whom he dated around 1994.

In 1989, Johnny and Winona’s romance blossomed. She was just 18, and he was 27 — a nine-year age gap that may not seem significant, but at that stage in life, they were in very different places. Despite the difference, they got engaged just five months in and stayed together until 1993. So, what led to their breakup?

Winona and Johnny ended their relationship in 1993 after spending four years together and getting engaged. While their breakup is widely believed to have stemmed from them growing apart, as sources reported at the time, Johnny later revealed that their age gap, coupled with the media’s intrusive nature, became a burden on their romance, according to Far Out Magazine.

Johnny admitted, "It’s very hard to have a personal life in this town," adding, "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."

While Winona has mostly kept quiet about the relationship, calling it a "very private" part of her life, she opened up in a 2022 Harper’s Bazaar interview, saying, "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."

Following the breakup, Winona reflected on the time, calling it "my Girl, Interrupted real life." The reference was to the 1999 film based on Susanna Kaysen’s true story, where Winona plays a woman who ends up in a mental institution. Amid her struggles, Winona credits Michelle Pfeiffer for offering support, reminding her, "This is going to pass," though Winona admitted it was hard for her to "hear it" at the time. She also confessed, "I just wasn’t taking care of myself."

After her split from Johnny, Winona continued to face her own battles, and in 2001, she became involved in the infamous Saks Fifth Avenue shoplifting incident.

While Johnny and Winona were deeply in love, Johnny got a tattoo on his arm dedicated to her that read "Winona Forever." He reportedly got the tattoo while filming the iconic Edward Scissorhands.

After their breakup, rather than completely removing the tattoo, Johnny chose to alter it to "Wino Forever," which is pretty ironic, considering how Johnny’s past romances, including those with Amber Heard and Ellen Barkin, both raised concerns about his alcohol use.

Even though their romance was ages ago, it seems they both had a pretty significant impact on each other at that time.