To claim Johnny Depp and Winona Ryder were “playing with fire” throughout their courtship is an understatement. The pair dated from 1989-1993, with Depp even getting the tattoo “Winona Forever” on his bicep shortly after proposing to the indie starlet.
Although Ryder claims in a recent interview that she “holds a special place” in her heart for those times, it’s not to say that her romance with Johnny Depp was all sunshine and roses. In fact, looking back, there was an element of danger laced within their whirlwind romance that almost caused Ryder to burn up in flames in the end. (We’re not talking metaphorically here.)
What happened after the actors parted ways? And where do the Edward Scissorhands actors stand today?
How did Johnny Depp and Winona Ryder meet?
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Depp and Ryder first locked eyes at the Ziegfeld Theater in New York City, circa 1989. Ryder was just 18 at the time, riding high off her success from Heathers and Beetlejuice. Meanwhile, Depp was famous for his television work on 21 Jump Street and The Nightmare on Elm Street.
According to the ‘90s couple, the two first crossed paths while Ryder was getting a Coca Cola at the cinema’s vending machine. Depp recalled the moment of first seeing Ryder in the most cinematic fashion: “It was a classic glance,” he told Rolling Stone in 1991, “like the zoom lenses in West Side Story, and everything else gets foggy.”
But according to the actors, they were too shy to officially introduce themselves just then. It wasn’t until months later, when a mutual friend dragged them to an event together, that they got to talking. After Depp and Ryder discovered their mutual love of beat poetry, literature, and musical scores, they knew their relationship would turn into more than just a fleeting connection.
It wasn’t long before the two morphed into the Hollywood “It” couple of the 90s. They even went on to star in Tim Burton’s gothic romance Edward Scissorhands together. “I have such, like, a place in my heart for those days,” Ryder recalls in a 2022 interview with Harper’s Bazaar.
That same year, the Dracula star spoke out about her relationship with her former fiance, claiming Johnny Depp was “like family” to her, adding that he was “very gentle and protective” of Ryder.
Winona Ryder Says She ‘Stopped Taking Care of Herself’ Following Split with Johnny Depp
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When Ryder and Depp eventually called off their engagement in 1993, Ryder struggled to cope. “That was my real life Girl Interrupted,” the Stranger Things star told Harper’s Bazaar, referring to the film in which she gets sent to a psychiatric ward due to her mental health struggles. She continues, claiming she “wasn’t taking care of herself” at the time.
This was proven to be true when the Girl Interrupted star admitted in a 2001 interview that she nearly lit herself on fire during a particularly difficult night following their breakup. “A doctor diagnosed me with anticipatory nostalgia – whatever that is – and gave me sleeping pills,” Ryder said in an interview with Cinema.com. “I attempted being an alcoholic for two weeks; spending a lot of time in my hotel room; drinking screwdrivers from the mini-bar; smoking cigarettes and listening to Tom Waits.”
Tragically, Ryder’s heartache following her split with the Cry Baby star nearly cost the actress her own life. “One night I fell asleep with a lit cigarette, and woke up to the flames,” she recalled. “I haven’t visited that dark side since. That was what you might say my ‘wake-up call’.”
Tim Burton Claims Johnny Depp Struggled to Move On From Winona Ryder Long After Their Split
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Winona Ryder wasn’t the only one struggling to cope following her high-profile split. According to the Corpse Bride creator, Tim Burton, he noticed a significant change in Johnny Depp after Winona Ryder had seemingly ended their relationship. “I felt weird to be around him, like he wasn’t acting like Johnny anymore,” Burton said following their break up (per Marie Claire.) “It’s almost like Winona took Johnny’s soul, Johnny’s love…”
Which projects from Winona Ryder are you most excited to see next?
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