Lori Anne Allison: Johnny Depp’s first wife who played significant role in making him Hollywood star

Lori Anne Allison is an American celebrity makeup artist and entrepreneur. Allison initially wanted to become a music producer but had to let go of the dream due to an unfortunate incident. However, she found success as a make-up artist having worked with several photographers. She has also been part of many films and TV projects.

As an entrepreneur, Allison owns a cupcake business, D’Cups, and launched Serendipity Lip Glosses in February 2015. Despite her achievements, “LD”, as her friends fondly call her, is known for being the ex-wife of Hollywood star, Johnny Depp. The duo got married in 1983 but they got divorced in 1985. She is also the reason for Depp’s success in Hollywood.

Below are details about the celebrity make-up artist, entrepreneur and producer and how she played a significant role in helping her husband become part of the creme-de-la-creme of Hollywood.

Lori Anne Allison’s biography

Lori Anne Allison was born on September 6, 1957, in Miami Beach and was raised in Normandy Isle in Miami, Florida. She has a sister, Suzanne Allison, who is a photographer. 

Allison attended Abbott High School and completed her studies in 1974. Afterwards, she enrolled at Miami Dade College, where she completed her college studies.

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Lori Anne Allison’s career

Allison reportedly had dreams to become a successful make-up artist since she was 13 years old. At that age, she had her first make-up experience when she visited a small makeup boutique on Collins Avenue, Miami Beach and got full-face makeup done by one of the sales ladies. In addition, she learnt some useful skills in makeup application.

She subsequently practised make-up application on her dolls. Her biggest influencers were musicians, models, drag queens and actors. Also, her biggest sources of inspiration in the field of makeup were the late David Bowie and makeup artist, Way Bandy. At the age of 16, Allison had rainbow streaks in her hair, had shaved her eyebrows off, and often wore funky clothes. As a result, she was labelled a freak.

But she first wanted to become a recording engineer and moved to Los Angeles. However, an unfortunate target-shooting accident rendered her half-deaf in her left ear forcing her to pursue her career in another direction.

With the help of two friends, musician Adam Ant and actor Christina Applegate, Allison began her career as a makeup artist. Applegate provided her with a professional makeup kit and her first job on TV while Adam helped her bag her first film and stage play jobs as a make-up artist. Her debut as a makeup artist was with the 1992 film Sunset Heat.

Over time, she has become successful having worked in many films and TV series like The Ultimate Lie (1996), Supreme Court of Comedy (2008), and Stand Up to Cancer (2008).

In February 2015, Allison launched her lip gloss line, Serendipity Lip Glosses.  She also runs a small cupcake business named D’Cups. In addition, she is a documentary producer, having produced Long Lonesome Highway: The Story of Michael Parks.

Lori Anne Allison’s net worth

Allison’s net worth is estimated to be $ 2 million, according to media reports.

Lori Anne Allison’s family

Allison was born to American parents. Her father was a businessman while her mother was a homemaker. Allison also has a younger sister, Suzanne Allison, who currently works as a photographer. 

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Lori Anne Allison and Johnny Depp

Allison and Hollywood star, Johnny Depp, got married on December 20, 1983, in a ceremony held in South Florida. She was 25 years old at the time while the Pirates of the Caribbean star was 20 years old. Allison was already a make-up artist while Depp was part of a musical band, The Kids.

The couple met through Allison’s sister, who was dating one of Johnny’s bandmates. Allison was also hired to do the band’s make-up. Allison and Depp’s romantic relationship took off during The Kids‘ Fort Lauderdale club circuit. However, the couple took off to Los Angeles to find a better life.

“We figured we were great in Florida, we’d be even better in California,” Depp was quoted saying in the book, Johnny Depp: A Biography by Michael Blitz and Louise Krasniewicz.

As they struggled for bookings, Depp took a job in telemarketing, selling advertising and personalised pens. However, the big break came when Allison introduced Depp to a young actor, Nicolas Cage. The young men quickly became drinking buddies and Cage got him an agent that landed him an audition for the horror film, Nightmare On Elm Street.

Depp told Playboy: “I got the job. I was stupefied. They paid me all that money for a week. It was luck, an accident. I did it purely to pay the rent. I was literally filling out job applications at the same time, any kind of job.

“Nic Cage said, ‘You should try being an actor. Maybe you are one and don’t know it.’ I began acting, and I thought, ‘Well, this is an interesting road; maybe I should keep travelling on it.’

“I didn’t know what the hell I was doing. So, I started to read everything I could about acting—Stanislavsky, Uta Hagen, Michael Chekhov. I started soaking it up.”

Unfortunately, as Depp found stardom, his marriage went in the opposite direction. The couple filed for divorce two years after their wedding. The ex-couple is still on good terms despite the divorce. Allison still goes by the name Lori Depp, as can be seen on her social media accounts. She even called him to offer her condolences following the death of his beloved mum Betty Sue in 2016, according to TMZ.

Depp has since remarried and divorced again while Allison remains single to this day.

Lori Anne Allison’s age

Allison is currently 65 years old and will celebrate her 66th birthday in 2023.

Lori Anne Allison now

Allison got the attention of the media during the recently concluded defamation suit between Johnny Depp and Hollywood actress, Amber Heard.

In a recent appearance on the Popcorned Planet podcast, she said: “I had met her (Amber Heard) before, I’d been to parties at his house. She seemed really nice and she was gorgeous, and what’s not to love? But as time went by and I would hear things about her – she who shall not be named – he didn’t seem too happy all the time. I didn’t see him a lot so I can’t really say.”

She also spoke about the highly televised trial, saying: “The things that affected me more were the things he said in court. I probably broke down several times because I felt really bad for him. I thought it was either going to be an epic train wreck or it was going to go really well… I think it would’ve killed him, well maybe not, but it just broke my heart that somebody could do that to him. I’m no angel, I’ve done my share of s–tty things to people, but what she did was absolutely horrific, and if there were things that I could do to her that were legal, I would do them! I would.”

Johnny Depp and Amber Heard were involved in a trial at a U.S. court, which subsequently awarded Depp $10.35 million in damages while Heard got $2 million.

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