It’s like word is getting out about how marriage is a bad deal

“The Trouble with Johnny Depp” is about the fall of a debauched star, so it’s an old story, but regular readers will recognize this:

Depp’s inner circle had begged him to not wed Heard or to at least obtain a prenup. Depp ignored his loved ones’ advice. And there were whispers that Depp’s recreational drug and alcohol use were crippling him.

Marriage is a contract. It used to be that men exchanged wealth, earnings, safety, and effort for sex and a higher degree of paternity likelihood from women. Today, sex is easy and women make their own money, so there is little reason to introduce the government into a private exchange. There is really really no reason for a wealthy, famous man to marry.

My guess, however, is that whatever personality traits or inner demons drive Depp as an artist also make him make impulsive or stupid decisions, like his decision to marry Heard. He is not the only wealthy, famous man to make bad decisions around women.

It may also be that Depp has been living in a fantasy world for so long that he has no idea what reality looks like. I’ve never met any famous celebrities, but I have met seemingly regular people who seem to have no touch with reality, and being around them is strange. I mean, it’s okay when they’re on drugs and when they come off the drugs they’ll be normal again, but it’s not good when unmoored is their default state.

Say what you will about Depp and Musk, they have the resources to recover from their bad decisions. Regular man may not have those resources.