Johnny Depp is prepared to "destroy" his kids' bullies

by

Sara McGinnis

posted in Celebrities

Johnny Depp prefers to handle bullies the way his own mother advised him to many years ago -- which isn't exactly thought highly of in this day and age.

Opening up about how he will "destroy" anyone who bullies his 16-year-old daughter Lily-Rose or his 13-year-old son Jack, the actor talked about his childhood while at the Toronto International Film Festival.

"I remember when I was a kid and I was little, like maybe 6-years-old or something like that, there was a little horror at the school who was needling me or whatever, and I think I told my mom or something," the man pictured here with new wife Amber Heard explained.

"I come from nothing but hillbillies, and my mom said to me, 'Alright, here's the deal, next time anybody puts their hands on you, pick up a brick and lay them out.'"

Speaking about how he'd handle bullies now, as a father, Johnny Depp added, "If somebody tried to bully my kid, if they didn't destroy the little booger, I would."

Pretty intense, right? While I understand the desire to stand up for you child and be protective, his words aren't anything like the approach we're taking.

As the mother of two kids in elementary school the topic of bullying has come up more than once, but we're teaching our kids to tell an adult first rather than resort to fists (or bricks). We tell our kids that if the first adult doesn't help then tell another and another until you're heard and get help.

I think it's solid advice, but it wasn't so many years ago I also was in school and I haven't forgotten that sometimes things get tricky. I'd never encourage my kids to start a physical interaction, but there is a point at which, if they're being attacked, I think there isn't much choice.

Just recently my 10-year-old and his cousin went to a nearby playground and a kid there was being a "booger," as Johnny would say. Along with saying rude and inappropriate things he (for lack of a classier way to describe it) tried to punch my son in the nuts. When my son came home he was confused about if he'd done the right thing in shoving the kid away from him and throwing out a punch to his arm when he still didn't back off.

I told him he'd done just fine.

Hearing that my son punched at another kid was unsettling, but I told him I was proud of him for standing up for himself. I explained the difference between what was acceptable and what wasn't is that he got physical to protect himself, but then didn't go overboard and outright attack the other kid in retaliation. Essentially, I praised him for doing the opposite of what Johnny Depp was told to do.

Do you think there's ever a time to encourage a kid to get physical? Are you willing to "destroy" a kid who's bullying your child? Join the conversation by leaving a comment below!

Photos: Stephen Lovekin/REX Shutterstock

 

A look at what other stars have had to say about bullying: