In early March of 2007, Johnny Depp’s daughter Lily-Rose developed a sudden, critical illness and was hospitalized in London; production on SWEENEY TODD shut down for a while, and legions of Depp fans prayed as they never have before. In his new interview with ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY’s Steve Daly, Johnny addresses those harrowing days and confirms that Lily-Rose is now in perfect health. Here is what Johnny told ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY:

EW: Back in March, reports appeared that your daughter Lily-Rose, who was 7 at the time, had been hospitalized in London with a very serious illness. Where were you in making SWEENEY TODD?

JD: We were about 3 weeks into shooting.

EW: How bad did things get?

JD: To say it was the darkest moment, that’s nothing. It doesn’t come close to describing it. Words are so small. But knowing that those people, Tim and the crew, shut down and stood by and waited . . . . I didn’t know if I was coming back. I remember talking with Tim, saying, “Maybe you need to recast.”

EW: But your daughter is fine now?

JD: You bet. Now every single millisecond is a mini-celebration, man. Every time we get to breathe in and exhale is a huge victory. She pulled through beautifully, perfectly, with no lasting anything. Once we were given the all clear, I had to dive back into the work, and I had to get back in there for Tim.

The Zone thanks H2H for posting the article. It’s a pleasure to hear confirmation from Johnny himself that Lily-Rose has made a complete recovery; we wish her, her parents and the entire Depp clan good health, happiness, and many more reasons to celebrate. –Part-Time Poet