The court case involving Johnny Depp and Amber Heard has been making the rounds. It was not a private family case but rather a grand public spectacle attracting widespread attention.
The two first met on the set of 'The Rum Diary' and began dating around the end of 2011 or the beginning of 2012. Heard was photographed wearing an engagement ring in 2014, and Depp confirmed their engagement in an interview with 'The Daily Mail.' They were married in a private ceremony in 2015.
Heard filed for divorce on May 23, 2016, accusing Depp of domestic violence. She revealed that Depp would physically abuse her while intoxicated and obtained a restraining order against him. A $7 million settlement was reached, which Heard allegedly donated to charity, but it was later discovered that only a small amount of money was given. A year later, in 2017, the divorce was finalized. Their romance ended there.
Amber Heard, on the other hand, wrote an op-ed for the Washington Post in 2018 about how women are mistreated in domestic violence cases. "I became a public figure representing domestic abuse, and I felt the full force of our culture's wrath against women who speak out," she wrote. She was referring to how people generally regard women who speak out about domestic abuse and how they tend to side with men. She also stated that Johnny was able to continue working during and after the divorce trial, while it was difficult for her to find work.
Having had enough, Depp sued Heard for $50 million in defamation. According to Depp, "Heard is not a victim of domestic abuse; she is a perpetrator." During the defamation suit, Heard detailed numerous instances of alleged abuse during their marriage and referred to him as "Monster."
Johnny Depp prevailed in his defamation suit against Amber Heard. It was clear that people were very interested in it because it was a high-profile celebrity case involving Depp, the heartthrob of many. The defamation suit, in fact, drew more attention than the divorce suit. According to Depp's lawyer, after Heard accused him of domestic violence, he lost many projects and millions of dollars. In 2018, he was dropped from the "Pirates of the Caribbean" franchise.
After much back and forth, the court found both Johnny Depp and Amber Heard liable for defamation against each other. Heard awarded Depp $15 million in damages, while Depp awarded Heard $2 million.
Depp was not physically present in court during the verdict because he had scheduled work commitments. According to a spokesperson for Heard, Depp's presence "shows where your priorities are."
Amber Heard issued a statement on social media following the verdict, saying, "The disappointment I feel today is beyond words. I'm heartbroken that the mountain of evidence was insufficient to overcome my ex-husband's power, influence, and sway. I'm even more disappointed by the implications of this decision for other women. It's a setback. It reverts to a time when a woman who spoke up and out could be publicly shamed and humiliated. It undermines the notion that violence against women should be taken seriously."
She believed that the jury's decision was biased and intended to punish women who spoke out about domestic violence. Though some people supported her, the majority opposed her because there are genuine survivors of domestic violence, and Amber Heard's case only made it more difficult for them to obtain justice. People can now use this trial to harass women who are genuine domestic abuse survivors by claiming that they are acting like Amber Heard.
There is no denying that Johnny Depp received a lot of online support during his trial. Many hashtags became popular, such as #justiceforjohnnydepp, #amberheardisaliar, #amberheardisanabuser, #boycottaquaman2, and so on. Many tik-toks about the case were created on social media and received millions of likes and views. People all over the world shared millions of tweets in support of Johnny Depp.
In an exclusive interview with Savannah Guthrie of NBC's Today, Amber Heard said of the social media representation, "You cannot tell me that you think this has been fair." Piers Morgan responded to Depp's fans' outrage by tweeting, "The jurors didn't read any of the social media stuff, they listened to the evidence and concluded she was lying. I believe Amber Heard should stop playing the victim."
In a statement, Depp released a statement saying, "Six years later, the jury gave me my life back. I am deeply moved. From the beginning, regardless of the outcome, the goal of this case was to reveal the truth. I owe it to my children and all those who have remained steadfast in their support for me to speak the truth. I'm relieved that I've finally completed that."
It's interesting to see how everyone kept up with the trial throughout. The courtroom drama received so much media attention that people were watching it like it was a show.
It is also worth noting that because this case was so open to the public, everyone became a judge, and not everyone is qualified to be a judge. Amber Heard received a lot of backlash online, which had to have affected her. Our opinions on the case are irrelevant to them; the jury must have carefully considered all the evidence before reaching a decision. It is necessary for us to be aware of world events and form opinions about them, but abusing someone online simply because of a courtroom trial between an ex-husband and an ex-wife is not justified. It is a matter between two adults, and it should have always been a matter between two adults to resolve. It wasn't necessary for the rest of the world to butt in.
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