On April 9, 2002, Jack Depp was born. Vanessa and Johnny had managed to keep the pregnancy a secret until February, when Vanessa was photographed traveling to London with Johnny for the World Music Awards. Soon afterwards, Johnny made the odd admission to a German magazine that yes, Vanessa was pregnant, and the baby was due sometime in the summer. It was a ruse. "It was really well orchestrated," said Johnny, adding: "It's nice to win sometimes." At the time of his birth, French papers reported Jack's name as "Jack John Christopher Depp III." Back in 1999, the same papers had reported Lily-Rose's name as "Lili Rose." The jury is out until we hear from Johnny and Vanessa themselves. So far, they've only referred to their son as "Jack."

Kids were on the new mom's mind later in the year when she donated two of her paintings to children's charities. In November, she created a Christmas card for the association Pierce-Neige that fans could buy for 9 euros. In December, she painted a pillow that was briefly on exhibit in Paris before it was auctioned for the charities Lea Pour Samy and the Cardiac Children's Foundation of Taiwan.

Vanessa laid low until later that year in September, when she appeared in a commercial for Paris Art & Essai's celebration of auteur films. French Elle was on the one-night set, and Vanessa self-consciously explained, "I want people to know that I don't just make children." She wasn't just considering commercials. While pregnant with Jack, she read the "demo" for Atomik Circus: Le Retour de James Bataille.

Vanessa described the demo as "a weird thing which did not look like a synopsis. There were some photos, drawings, as well as 3-D glasses and a short note which said: 'Script Following Soon.' And the script arrived. When I was reading it, I thought I was going to give birth on the spot as I was laughing so much." She signed on for the part of Concia with enthusiasm, and from May to July 2003, Vanessa filmed Atomik Circus: Le Retour de James Bataille in Portugal and Belgium, and recorded six songs with The Little Rabbits for the soundtrack. She also found time to attend that summer's Chanel haute couture show, where she met and posed with Karl Lagerfeld. Their meeting would be auspicious: Vanessa was soon contacted to be the celebrity face of the new line of handbags that Karl himself had personally designed. But more on that later.

Vanessa "modeled" again for La Redoute's fall/winter 2003 collection in its effort to become a more upscale mail-order catalogue through offering designer clothes hand-picked by famous women. One item, a headband made by hairdresser and close friend John Nollet, was even hand-made for Vanessa and came only in her size. Fans got to see her wear the headband to the September 2003 premiere of Once Upon a Time in Mexico in New York, the first time since November 1999 that Vanessa had accompanied Johnny Depp to one of his movie premieres. She wore Chanel.

Vanessa's advertisements for Ligne Cambon handbags debuted in Spring 2004, first in Europe, then the rest of the world. Never had Vanessa been so exposed in American magazines, appearing monthly in those that cover woman's fashion. This print exposure coincided with red carpet exposure: Vanessa was at Johnny's side at the Critics Choice Awards, the Golden Globes, the Oscars.

In March, Vanessa began filming Mon Ange, the directorial debut of screenwriter Serge Frydman (Half a Chance, Girl on the Bridge). The film wrapped in time for Vanessa to return to France to promote the pushed-back Atomik Circus...