Johnny Depp, Vanessa Paradis Had "Blazing Fights" Before Breakup

USMagazine, Wednesday, July 4, 2012, 3:15pm (PDT)

There was a period when Vanessa Paradis wanted only the best for Johnny Depp -- but that was a long, long time ago.

According to a source, the former model and aspiring singer, 39, pushed the actor to take marquee roles, such as 2003's Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl; the film raked in more than $300 million and turned Depp into the world's most sought-after actor.

PHOTOS: Johnny Depp and other '80s heartthrobs, then and now

Paradis eventually began to resent Depp's success -- even though his $20 million-a-movie salary paid for their lavish lifestyle. And with her singing going nowhere, "Vanessa started to feel like she'd sacrificed her career for his," a friend recently explained to Us Weekly.

PHOTOS: Star couples who never wed

Depp, who earned more than $75 million in 2010, grew resentful, too. "Nothing Johnny did was ever good enough for Vanessa. When he was working, she wasn't happy. And when he wasn't working, he was called a slob for not doing enough for the kids and her family." (The two are parents to Lily-Rose, 13, and Jack, 10.)

The constant bickering led to vicious spats. "They'd have blazing fights," says the friend. "Vanessa would take her frustrations out on him." Depp, in turn, "started to drink heavily."

Though they continued to drift apart, Depp and Paradis always put their children's needs first. "It broke Johnny's heart that the family he loves so much was becoming fractured," said the friend.

PHOTOS: Costar couples

But in 2010 -- the last time Depp and Paradis were photographed together on the red carpet -- the singer decided to pull the plug. "Johnny was heartbroken," the friend told Us. "But they agreed the kids' lives shouldn't be affected. That's why they didn't announce it." (On June 19, 2012, Depp's rep released a statement explaining that they had "amicably separated.")

Since then, Depp, 49, has found love again with his Rum Diary costar, Amber Heard, 26. "They are 100 percent dating," a source revealed. "He treats her really well."

This article originally appeared on Usmagazine.com: Johnny Depp, Vanessa Paradis Had "Blazing Fights" Before Breakup