Winona Ryder admits she ‘struggled to take care of herself’ after split from Johnny Depp

Winona Ryder has confessed she ‘struggled to take care of herself’ after her 1993 breakup with Johnny Depp, adding that Michelle Pfeiffer supported her through it.

The actress, 50, likened her state to her character Susanna Kaysen in 1999’s Girl Interrupted, who spends 18 months at a psychiatric hospital after a suicide attempt.

She made the admission to accompany a gorgeous cover shoot for Harper’s Bazaar‘s July 2022 digital issue, which sees her cut a smart figure in a black blazer suit.

‘That was my Girl, Interrupted real life!’ Winona Ryder has confessed she ‘struggled to take care of herself’ following her breakup with Johnny Depp but Michelle Pfeiffer supported her

Opening up to the magazine, she said of the split: ‘That was my Girl, Interrupted real life. I remember, I was playing this character who ends up getting tortured in a Chilean prison [in the 1994 drama The House of the Spirits].

‘I would look at these fake bruises and cuts on my face [from the shoot], and I would struggle to see myself as this little girl.

“Would you be treating this girl like you’re treating yourself?” I remember looking at myself and saying, “This is what I’m doing to myself inside.” Because I just wasn’t taking care of myself.’

Winona went on to reveal that her Age of Innocence co-star Michelle assured her the rough patch was ‘going to pass’ but she ‘couldn’t hear it’ herself.

Crikey! The actress, 50, likened her state to her character Susanna Kaysen in 1999’s Girl Interrupted, who spends 18 months at a psychiatric hospital after a suicide attempt (pictured with Johnny in 1990)

She continued: ‘I’ve never talked about it. There’s this part of me that’s very private. I have such, like, a place in my heart for those days. But for someone younger who grew up with social media, it’s hard to describe.’

Winona also confessed she felt like ‘part of my life was over’ while reflecting on the ‘cruel’ tabloid culture in the early 2000s.

The screen star made headlines after being caught shoplifting from Saks Fifth Avenue’s Beverly Hills department store in 2001, going on to be found guilty.

On being targeted by the press amid the scandal, the Stranger Things star said: ‘I definitely retreated. I was in San Francisco. But I also wasn’t getting offers. I think it was a very mutual break.

Stunning: She made the admission to accompany a gorgeous cover shoot for Harper’s Bazaar ‘s July 2022 issue, which sees her cut an oversized blue skirt

Candid: Opening up to the magazine, she said of the split: ‘That was my Girl, Interrupted real life. I remember, I was playing this character who ends up getting tortured in a Chilean prison [in the 1994 drama The House of the Spirits]’

‘It’s so interesting when you look at the early aughts. It was a kind of cruel time.

‘There was a lot of meanness out there…. And then I remember coming back to L.A. and—it was a rough time. And I didn’t know if that part of my life was over.’

She shocked Hollywood when she was caught shoplifting from a Beverly Hills department store in 2001.

Winona was eventually convicted of stealing nearly £4,000 worth of designer merchandise from an exclusive department store.

Revealing: ‘I would look at these fake bruises and cuts on my face [from the shoot], and I would struggle to see myself as this little girl’ 

Back on top now! Winona also confessed she felt like ‘part of my life was over’ while reflecting on the ‘cruel’ tabloid culture in the early 2000s 

She was found guilty of grand theft and vandalism but not guilty of second degree burglary from Saks Fifth Avenue in Beverly Hills on December 12.

During her shopping expedition, she bought several items but stole many more.

Her haul of stolen goods included designer hats, tops, socks, bags and hair accessories, ranging in price from £10 to £500.

She also stole a white Gucci dress worth just over £1,000.

Soon after arriving at Saks on December 12, Ryder bought a pair of Gucci shoes worth about £200.

Oh dear: The screen star made headlines after being caught shoplifting from Saks Fifth Avenue’s Beverly Hills department store in 2001, going on to be found guilty

What?! Winona was eventually convicted of stealing nearly £4,000 worth of designer merchandise from an exclusive department store 

Looking good: Winona was photographed by Dan Martensen and styled by Caroline Newell for the stunning cover

She spent more than one-and-a-half hours in total at the store and a security video tape seen by the jury showed her wandering around, picking up armfuls of designer clothing.

She caught the attention of Saks’ security boss Kenneth Evans, when she knelt down and stuffed various hair accessories and socks inside a hat she was carrying.

The Girl, Interrupted star enjoyed a quiet few years following her conviction, but couldn’t turn her back on acting for good.

Now in a happy relationship with her long-term partner Scott Mackinlay Hahn, she gushed over the pair ‘connecting on so many levels’ 

Winona revealed how she ‘loves’ that the fashion designer, 51, who she’s been with since 2011, is not in the acting world yet they have ‘so much in common’.

She said: ‘It was amazing that he’s not in this business. I really did try to keep it quiet.’

Tragic: The actress likened her state to her character Susanna Kaysen in 1999’s Girl Interrupted, who spends 18 months at a psychiatric hospital after a suicide attempt (pictured in-character)

The Golden Globe winner recalled their first meeting and reflected on how he didn’t even recognise her despite her global fame.

She joked: ‘He thought I was Milla Jovovich. He told me I was great in The Fifth Element.’

On the pressures of young movie stars to cement their place in Hollywood, Winona said: ‘This business is brutal. You’re working constantly, but if you want to take a break, they tell you, “If you slow down, it’s going to stop.” And then it did slow down. 

‘So then you’re hearing, “It’s going to be impossible to come back.” And then that changes to, “You’re not even part of the conversation.” Like, it was brutal.’

Pals: Winona went on to reveal that her Age of Innocence co-star Michelle (left) assured her the rough patch was ‘going to pass’ but she ‘couldn’t hear it’ herself (pictured in 1999) 

Winona has stared alongside teen actors Finn Wolfhard, Millie Bobby Brown, Gaten Matarazzo, Caleb McLaughlin and Noah Schnapp on the Netflix smash-hit Stranger Things since 2016.

On the advice she gives to them, she told the magazine: ‘I want the kids to understand, this does not happen,” of being on a show so zeitgeisty that people are clamoring for your attention. 

‘This is really unusual. And I’m always telling them, “The work is the reward!” Because when I was that age, it was so hard to enjoy the fruits of my labor.’

Mistake: She spent more than one-and-a-half hours in total at the store and a security video tape seen by the jury showed her wandering around, picking up armfuls of designer clothing’ (pictured in 2002)

It follows reports that Winona feels Scott is her soulmate, according to UsWeekly.

But though they are on very good footing they do not have plans to get married and have kids, the insider added.

The source said: ‘They may eventually marry but it’s never been a priority, nor has starting a family. [Winona] loves what they have and [they] are perfectly content.’

Winona has an interesting love life as she was engaged to Johnny in the early 1990s and used to date Matt Damon in 2000.

Moving on: Now in a happy relationship with her long-term partner Scott Mackinlay Hahn, she gushed over the pair ‘connecting on so many levels’ (pictured in May 2022)

She has also been linked to Val Kilmer (2005), Pete Yorn (2001), Jimmy Fallon (2000), David Duchovny (1996), David Pirner (1994-1996), Christian Slater (1988) and Rob Lowe (1986).

The insider added: ‘Winona has found her soulmate in Scott, who’s a real gentleman and super successful but loves flying under the radar and enjoying his success in a low-key way just like her,’ the source added.

‘They spend their time up north near San Francisco, though she does commute back and forth to L.A. for work and to see friends and often brings him with her.’

And Winona likes having a steady relationship.

‘I’m a serial monogamist,’ the actress told Net-a-Porter’s The Edit in 2016.

‘I was single for a while and dating and I just didn’t know how to do it! I’ve always been like that. But marriage? I don’t know.’

‘I’d rather never have been married than been divorced a few times. Not that there’s anything wrong with divorce, but I don’t think I could do it if that was a possibility,’ Ryder shared.

‘When your parents are madly in love for 45 years, your standards are really high.’

Pals: Winona (left) has stared alongside teen actors including Millie Bobby Brown (right) on Stranger Things since 2016 and revealed she gives them advice all the time (pictured in 2017)