Early life of Johnny Depp

Depp is of primarily English descent, with some French, German, and Irish ancestry.

His surname comes from a French Huguenot immigrant, Pierre Dieppe, who settled in Virginia around 1700.

In interviews in 2002 and 2011, Depp claimed to have Native American ancestry, saying: "I guess I have some Native American somewhere down the line. My great-grandmother was quite a bit of Native American.

She grew up Cherokee or maybe Creek Indian. Makes sense in terms of coming from Kentucky, which is rife with Cherokee and Creek Indian"

Depp's claims came under scrutiny when Indian Country Today wrote that Depp had never inquired about his heritage or been recognized as a member of the Cherokee Nation.

Depp has no known Native ancestry, and Native community leaders describe him as "a non-Indian and a pretendian," which drew criticism from the Native American community.

Both Depp's decision to play the Native American Tonto in The Lone Ranger and his decision to call his rock group Tonto's Giant Nuts received criticism.

LaDonna Harris, a member of the Comanche Nation, officially adopted Depp as her honorary son during the promotion for The Lone Ranger, making him a member of her family in name only; he is not a tribal member.

At the adoption, Depp was given the Comanche name "Mah Woo May," which means shape-shifter.

Following this, the Native community's criticism of his claims grew, including satirical portrayals of Depp by Native comedians. After being accused of cultural appropriation and racism, a 2019 Dior advertisement for the perfume "Sauvage" that featured Depp and Native American imagery was taken down.