Johnny Depp Remembers Young Fan Who Died

Johnny Depp has said his final farewells to a young fan.

In a social media post, the 60-year-old actor paid tribute to the passing of Kori Stovell, an 11-year-old fan of the "Pirates of the Caribbean" franchise. Stovell, who was born with a heart condition, had been under palliative care following two unsuccessful heart transplant attempts, People reported.

"Sail on my fellow captain!! You honored us with your life. You humbled and amazed us with the courage and strength to be able to smile through it all," Depp wrote on his Instagram story, alongside a black-and-white video of Kori.

Previously, Depp had given Stovell the nickname "Captain Kori" during a video call with him in December, organized by the Make-A-Wish Foundation. He also created a video for Stovell, which was uploaded to the boy's YouTube channel, "Kraken The Box."

"You’ve shown every one of us how to stay ahead of the curve with grace, humor, an incomprehensible understanding and unparalleled dignity," the actor continued in his post this week.

"You are a warrior, mate… We will meet again on the highest of seas… All my love and respect to you and your family always!!! X JD," Depp concluded.

A source close to the actor told People that Depp had been contacted by Make-A-Wish with a "timely request," as Kori was in palliative care. In the video, Depp dressed up as the film's lead character, Captain Jack Sparrow, and wished the boy luck.

"I wish you the best of luck. I am your No. 1 fan, Capt. Kori," he said in the clip.

According to the source, Kori was a "massive" fan of Jack Sparrow and would often watch the "Pirates of the Caribbean" films "during his multiple heart surgeries and subsequent recovery periods."

Kori was born with a congenital heart defect that left the left side of his heart underdeveloped. He underwent two heart transplants, in 2018 and 2020, but his body rejected both organs, BBC reported.

The boy's mother said in a statement that her family "are broken beyond belief at the loss.”