Depp previously appeared in a Make-A-Wish film dressed as Captain Jack Sparrow, telling the child, “I am your No. 1 fan, Capt. Kori.”
Johnny Depp wishes a final farewell to a dear fan.
On Tuesday, the actor, 60, posted a lengthy tribute to the passing of Kori Stovell, an 11-year-old Pirates of the Caribbean fan who was born with a heart problem and had been in hospice care following two failed heart transplants.
“Sail on, my fellow captain!! You honored us by giving us your life. You humbled and amazed us with your courage and strength to smile through it all,” Depp said on Instagram, with a black and white video of Kori.
Depp had previously christened the youngster “Captain Kori” during one of their December video conversations in partnership with the Make-A-Wish Foundation, as well as creating a video for the 11-year-old and uploading it to the boy’s YouTube account “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.
In December, a source close to the actor said that Make-A-Wish had contacted him with “a timely ask” with Kori in hospice care. Depp appeared in the video dressed as the film’s major character, Captain Jack Sparrow and wished the youngster well.
“I wish you the best of luck. I am your No. 1 fan, Capt. Kori,” he said in the clip.
Kori was a “massive” Jack Sparrow enthusiast who frequently watched Pirates of the Caribbean films “during his multiple heart surgeries and subsequent recovery periods,” a source said at the time.
The young Pirates fan was born with hypoplastic left heart syndrome, which means his heart’s left side was underdeveloped at birth. According to the BBC, he had a heart transplant in 2018 and 2020, but his body rejected both organs.
Pixi, the boy’s mother, said that her family is “broken beyond belief at a loss.”
She had posted an emotional video on Sunday, shortly after Kori’s death, claiming that he “went fairly peacefully” and had his “captain’s hat beside his bed and he has a pirate flag over him” when he departed.
“I would like to thank everyone who has supported Kori and followed his journey,” she continued. “He was humbled and overjoyed at so many things in life, and we ask that people remember him now that he has set sail on his greatest adventure yet.”
