Johnny Depp's LA penthouse

Johnny Depp's Los Angeles Penthouse Collection

What once was a successful pairing between Johnny Depp and Amber Heard has changed course and their dirty laundry is playing out in real time all over the world. Whether real or as a way to get each back into the limelight and boost their careers, the court case has proven to be entertainment on a level that has at times even had the judge laughing. One thing unfolding is that Amber appears to have her heart set on acquiring one, if not all, of Johnny's fabulous L.A. penthouses.

Known for being a somewhat dark, idiosyncratic actor, Depp has followed his own instincts in his choice of parts since his first role in Nightmare on Elm Street in 1984. A Florida high school dropout at age 15, he played in several garage bands and married early. When he and his new wife took a trip to Los Angeles, in a stroke of good luck, he happened to meet Nicolas Cage who suggested he go into acting. This led to his first film role and quick successes in Edward Scissorhands, Sleepy Hollow and the Pirates of the Caribbean series. He then moved on to more serious parts portraying drug and gangster criminals in Blow, Public Enemies and Black Mass.

Widely considered one of Hollywood's best actors and box office stars with Golden Globe and Screen Actors' Guild Awards, Depp has made headlines from his movies, love life, and his interesting real estate holdings, which include an island in the Bahamas. At various times engaged to Sherilyn Fenn, Jennifer Grey, Winona Ryder and Kate Moss, Depp had a long relationship with French singer-actress Vanessa Paradis. During his Paradis years, he purchased an entire French village which was recently on the market at $55.5 million. After he split with Vanessa, he married Amber Heard in 2015, but divorced just one year later. Listed after the $7 million divorce settlement with Heard is Depp's unique collection of penthouses in downtown Los Angeles.

Depp acquired the five multi-storied, side-by-side penthouse units over a period of years after the building had been refurbished in 2007. Decorated in his unique style, he never joined the units, but instead lived in them as though going from room to room, or lent to relatives to use. Whether or not it was a conscious real estate business decision or a happy fluke, it means that the collection of units can be resold as a whole or individually. The group includes five condo units: four two-bedrooms and a one-bedroom, totaling approximately 11,500 square feet. The 13-story Eastern Columbia Building was designed by Claud Beelman in 1930, considered to be one of the city's best examples of Art Deco architecture still standing.

Johnny Depp's collection of five penthouses in the famous Los Angeles Eastern Columbia building were available in 2016 as a group for $12.78 million; they are not currently on the market.

For more visit TopTenRealEstateDeals.com.