What Really Happened Between Johnny Depp And Keira Knightley?

While Johnny Depp has certainly gotten a lot of attention for his short-lived marriage to Amber Heard — for better or worse — his list of exes actually reads as a who's who in the entertainment industry. 

He's gone from dating the likes of Jennifer Grey to Kate Moss to Vanessa Paradis and so many more. However, it was his relationship with Winona Ryder that got the most attention and not just because of the tattoo that he got in honor of her, but also because they were the ultimate '90s couple. According to Cinema, back in 2001, Ryder even admitted that Depp was the love of her life. She said, "I had my first real relationship with Johnny (Depp), a fiercely deep love that I don't know that I'll ever ... The first love is like that, isn't it?"

Even though a lot of people have managed to make their mark on Depp's life one way or another, there was also some speculation that he might have had a relationship with one of his former "Pirates of the Caribbean" co-stars. And no, we are not talking about Orlando Bloom, either. Instead, a lot of people are still wondering to this day about what happened between Depp and fellow swashbuckler, Keira Knightley. 

Johnny Depp and Keira Knightley locked lips in "Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest." And because there was so much supposed chemistry between the two actors, fans couldn't help but wonder if any of that on-screen passion spilled over off-screen. While Knightley did admit that kissing Depp felt like a dream come true (only because her teenage self used to crush on him, per TMZ), Depp didn't feel the same way. 

Not because Knightley isn't an attractive woman, but mostly because she is two decades younger than Depp. He told Vanity Fair, "Kissing someone you are not romantically involved with is always awkward, but the fact that Keira is 20-something years younger than me made it infinitely more awkward. Still, she was a good sport about it and we did what we had to do."

Even though there was some speculation about just how close they really were, Knightley said she did appreciate just how down to Earth Depp was, despite his A-list status. She told IGN in 2003, "It's really weird, because he's a huge star of Hollywood, but he's such a nice bloke. We'd be over at the craft services wagon and he'd make a cup of tea and we'd have a chat and have a giggle, and do a scene then. He's just really, really, really lovely." So, with that clarified, what's behind all of the Depp and Knightley dating rumors?

One reason why a lot of people can't help but wonder what the nature of Johnny Depp's relationship was with Keira Knightley is because of court documents connected to Depp's case with his ex-wife, Amber Heard. 

The Hollywood Reporter suggested back in 2020 that Depp was to provide any and all texts, e-mails, letters, etc. with any of his possible former love interests for the trial, which supposedly included Knightley. However, there is no evidence that supports any of the dating rumors, and unlike many of Depp's other high-profiled relationships, there are no paparazzi photos suggesting that Depp and Knightley's relationship extended beyond their professional realms. Then again, there was also a lot of speculation about Johnny Depp's professional and perhaps even personal relationship with his "The Tourist" co-star Angelina Jolie back in 2010. In an interview with POPSUGAR that same year, Depp said of his co-star, "When we sat down together, it was kind of instant. We got each other," and even added, "She's as cool, normal, and low key [a woman] as you'd want to meet. She's impressive. She's a force."

And while there's also no proof that suggests Jolie and Depp ever dated either, it's safe to say that Depp's list of rumored Hollywood girlfriends is just as long as the list of partners he actually had. Hey, no one said that being one of the sexiest men alive was an easy job, right?

So, what really happened between Johnny Depp and Keira Knightley? Likely, only they will ever know the truth despite Amber Heard's attempts to find out otherwise. In addition to Knightley and Angelina Jolie, Marion Cotillard was included in the list of Depp's possible former love interests. The two actors starred together in "Public Enemies." Johnny's attorney's fought against submitting any forms of communication between their client and the three women.

Vulture reports that they argued documentation relating to former flames was "irrelevant, immaterial, or unnecessary" to Depp's defamation case against his ex-wife. They further claimed Heard had demanded he hand over the materials "to harass" him. And according to an alleged 2019 email, her legal team had determined "romantic partners" to include anybody that Johnny had engaged in sexual relations with during the previous decade.

Although it's not known how far Knightley's relationship with Depp actually went, she has gotten very close to his daughter, Lily-Rose Depp. The two worked together on the movie "Silent Night," and both were involved in Karl Lagerfield's modeling shoots. In addition, they've been spotted hanging out together at fashion show events, and Knightley even interviewed Lily-Rose for Interview in August 2021. Interestingly, though, as they signed off, Lily-Rose said to send her love to "your man and the girls." However, Knightley failed to mention Lily-Rose's father in her reply. "You're so sweet," she said. "Send my love to your mom and to all."