There are ambiguities in the sordid conflict between the divorced actors Johnny Depp and Amber Heard, but some things are clear. (She is countersuing for $100 million.). Pay farmers handsomely to give up their water rights. A Saturday Night Live sketch last weekend turned one of Depps wildest accusations against Heard into a skit, treating her as a figure of ridicule and him as a charming scamp. On Tuesday, the actor's legal team rested their case after 13 days of testimony as Depp says Amber Heard ruined . The exhibits presented on her behalf are also disturbing. Our weekly mental wellness newsletter can help. Could it be possible also that the public might be more sympathetic toward Depp because he is such a big movie star, and so well-liked on screen for decades? "He ripped my dress," she recalled, fighting back tears. Depp is suing Heard for defamation after she stated in a 2018 op-ed in The Washington Post that she had become a public figure representing domestic abuse. Depp and Heard were married between 2015 and 2017. Although she did not identify Depp in her op-ed, he sued Heard for damaging his personal and professional life. At the time, he blamed the destruction on an armadillo hiding in the closet. It would be nice if we all learned something from this sordid mess. The current chapter of their domestic warfare is taking place in a Fairfax County, Va., courtroom, where Depps defamation lawsuit against his ex-wife Heard is unfolding before a jury of seven. But it is also safe to question Heards motives in making this a women must be believed story. "Given the timeline of the events leading to Heard's statements, including inconsistencies in the couple's joint statement just one year before her statements in the Washington Post op-ed, it doesn't surprise me that there is more sympathy for Depp than Heard in this case," Lau said. Johnny Depp looks on in the courtroom at the Fairfax County Circuit Court in Fairfax, Virginia, on May 3, 2022. On April 11, Johnny Depp and Amber Heard reported to a Fairfax, Virginia, courtroom for a long-awaited defamation trial that would air all the dirty laundry of their tumultuous marriage. Thats disgusting.. They must have been terrifying.) Ms. Heard may win or lose this new trial, but shes already lost in the court of public opinion. Johnny Depp's testimony against ex-wife Amber Heard triggered a groundswell of public support. Actor Johnny Depp has had a wild last few years, as his notoriety shifted from this career as a character actor to this long legal battle with ex-wife Amber Heard. The court of public opinion is the wrong place to do this. The lesson seems to be that who is believed in a situation in which there are mutual accusations of domestic violence will depend on popularity and that men will be given the benefit of the doubt, while women will be ridiculed for their tears. The Pirates of the Caribbean star insisted that he "never" hit Heard while testifying in court in Fairfax, Virginia this week. Theirs was obviously a tempestuous marriage. Her columns appear on Wednesday and Sunday. Who's the one that's wearing the pants in the family?" One almost suspects that, for some of the most vociferous defenders of Depp online, the misogyny is the point. Their marriage counselor testified that both abused each other. Its worth noting that in 2020, Bot Sentinel, a group that tracks online disinformation and harassment, was hired by Heards lawyers to analyze the social media campaign against her. [There is] a lot at stake for her. There was never any intent of physical or emotional harm. LIMBONG: Now, I should add that Heard did countersue, and then the jury also awarded her $2 million. Actor Johnny Depp attends his defamation trial against his ex-wife Amber Heard, at the Fairfax County Circuit Courthouse in Fairfax, Virginia, U.S., April 27, 2022. The Johnny Depp-Amber Heard Trial Is Not as Complicated as You May Think The entirety of the case rests on twelve words. Depps former lawyer characterized Heards claims as an abuse hoax. Maybe, maybe not. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, Pool photo by Jim Lo Scalzo. It wants a hero and a villain, and it wants to drive that villain into the ground. However, there was a subsequent outpouring of support from Twitter users who pointed out systemic disbelief of women who come forward with stories of abuse. Amber Heard is seen inside the courtroom during the $50 million Depp vs Heard defamation trial at the Fairfax County Circuit Court April 12, 2022, in Fairfax, Virginia. Bedera also says that she is concerned about the impact this trial could have on victims of intimate partner violence and their willingness to come forward. 2023 Cable News Network. Unless you happen to live on under a rock, you've probably heard of the name Johnny Depp. In a courtroom filled with cameras in Fairfax County, Va., Heard and ex-husband Johnny Depp, who is suing her . ", Then in 2018, Heard published an op-ed in The Washington Post titled: "I spoke up against sexual violenceand faced our culture's wrath. Johnny Depp alleges Amber Heard hit him repeatedly, details finger-disfiguring fight April 20, 2022 Rhetorical contortions aside, it seems that both Depp and Heard have anger issues. This case is about using the courts as a platform to tell his side of the story and clearing the record and swaying the court of public opinion, Ahouraian said. And while Depp may come out a little tarnished and is not a family man anymore after the trial, Engelmayer says Depp has shown how vast his base of supporters and fans is, which could appeal to studios considering hiring him for new projects. The trial was headed by a seven-member jury, who awarded Depp with more than 10 million dollars in his defamation case against his ex-wife Amer Heard. Behavioral analyst Susan Constantine, who specializes in reading body language and detecting deception, says she does "not believe" Johnny Depp "was abusive with" his ex-wife, Amber Heard, based on both of their testimonies during Depp's defamation trial against Heard. Follow The New York Times Opinion section on Facebook, Twitter (@NYTopinion) and Instagram. Depp currently being more vocally backed on Twitter. Winning it would just be icing on the cake for him because his main goal for filing the defamation lawsuit was to clear his name and to appeal to the court of public opinion.. Ms. Heards lawyers say she will outline the physical, sexual and emotional abuse he inflicted on her when she testifies (she had not yet taken the stand as I wrote this). When Mr. Depp testified in the first days of the trial, the headline on Ms. Heards article was brought glaringly to light. Actor Johnny Depp testifies as an article seen on a screen is entered into evidence, during the trial at Fairfax County Circuit Court in Fairfax, Va., Wednesday, April 20, 2022. Hes trying to be witty, hes trying to be funny., Thats his way of winning over audiences whether hes on stage or in front of a camera or in front of a jury.. He is suing his ex-wife for $50 million, alleging she defamed him in her 2018 Washington Post op-ed in which she described herself as a victim of domestic abuse. In the article, Heard claimed she was a victim of domestic violence . Johnny Depp looks on in the courtroom at the Fairfax County Circuit Court in Fairfax, Virginia, on May 3, 2022. Their tumultuous short-lived marriage has resulted in years of acrimony and courtroom drama spanning two continents. This kind of humility is useful for feminists, too: We can understand that women are much more likely to be abused than men, but that doesnt mean that women are the victims and men the perpetrators in 100% of abusive relationships. The stars wed in 2015, with Heard filing for divorce the following year. Public opinion appears to be weighing far more heavily in favor of Depp than Heard. The trial has drawn endless commentary on social media that is largely heavily critical of Heard. So, really, a bad move on Amber Heard's legal team," Constantine said, adding that Heard's pantsuit mimics her ex-husband. I need him on his best behavior and he gets one shot.. Things may change once Ms. Heard takes the stand. The panel awarded Heard $2 million in damages. But its also something much more valuable: an insight into the way we think about and, much more often, ignore intimate partner violence. Johnny Depp, left, and Amber Heard arrive for the European premiere of their 2011 film, The Rum Diary, in London. Both Depp and Heard seem to have a loose relationship with the truth. Some domestic violence experts consider mutual abuse a myth, arguing that while both partners in a toxic relationship can behave terribly, one usually exercises power over the other. Mr. Depps texts were read out, with one particular message noting that he hoped Ms. Heards rotting corpse was decomposing in the trunk of a Honda Civic! Depp's lawyers to prove that Heard's allegations of domestic violence against her ex-husband are false. Johnny Depp testified this week in his defamation case against Amber Heard, accusing the actress of emotional and physical abuse during their four-year . There is enough evidence to support Johnny Depp 's $50 million claim of defamation. Both Depp and Heard seem to have a loose relationship with the truth. The only thing that one could do, really, was try to stay out of the line of fire., The couples therapist, Laurel Anderson, testified in a videotaped deposition that Heards father beat her as a child and that it was a point of pride to her if she felt disrespected to initiate a fight. Also, said Anderson, she felt she had to hit him back if he hit her and so she always did., The therapist described the couples dynamic as mutual abuse.. 2023 FOX News Network, LLC. I cant look away from the Johnny Depp and Amber Heard defamation trial. Depp testified at length about the childhood abuse he suffered at the hands of his mother, Betty Sue, even flinching on the stand as he described how hed protect himself when she walked past him at home. - after the jury decision was announced and Johnny Depp stans were out there every day sort of dressed in "Pirates Of The Caribbean" gear, you know, supporting him throughout the whole thing. Opinion: Guns are the biggest public health threat kids face. Yet even if trolls and bots helped juice anti-Heard mania, there are obviously plenty of real people participating in it. And I think that is going to impress studios more than anything else. 2023 NYP Holdings, Inc. All Rights Reserved, Rihannas zodiac sign reveals secrets to her Super Bowl 2023 success, A lousy Valentines season for some of Hollywoods heartbreakers, Johnny Depp attorney Camille Vasquez getting cold shoulder from fellow NBC staffers: report, Devastated Johnny Depp at Jeff Becks bedside before his death: report, has shown how vast his base of supporters and fans is. Everyone thinks that any activity against them is bots or whatever, the groups founder, Chris Bouzy, told me. "One question I have right now, in our sort of post-#MeToo moment," Bedera commented, "we're trying to decide what the consequences should be for intimate partner violence. Although the article did not use his name, Depp claims it destroyed his career and made him a Hollywood pariah. Amber Heards lawyer grills Johnny Depp during cross-examination with a slew of embarrassing messages that might undermine parts of Depps testimony. Results, interactive data, and methodology on Americans' attitudes on the defamation trial with Amber Heard and Johnny Depp, from a May 20 - 22, 2022 YouGov survey. Depp is suing Heard for defamation over a Washington Post op-ed in which she declared she was a victim of domestic violence. But we can also look at the public response to that convoluted evidence as a kind of bellwether for sexism. The trial, which is being carried live on Court TV, has been a feast for gossip gluttons who have strong stomachs. Previous reporting and testimony at the trial suggest that Depp struggles with drinking and drug use. Editors Note: Jill Filipovic is a journalist based in New York and author of the book OK Boomer, Lets Talk: How My Generation Got Left Behind. Follow her on Twitter. or redistributed. Depp, you may know by now, accused Heard or one of her friends of defecating in her bed as an act of revenge, and his bodyguard said shed confessed to a prank gone wrong. Some of them are obsessive Depp fans; as Kaitlyn Tiffany wrote in The Atlantic, theres a history of online communities fixating on theories that the male objects of their fandom were being manipulated and tortured by less-famous, female romantic partners.. 6 min read. 6:08 PM EDT, Tue May 17, 2022, 'Every word of it is true': Heard speaks on op-ed after break in defamation trial, OK Boomer, Lets Talk: How My Generation Got Left Behind, much higher rates of intimate partner violence. When Heard went to court to get a domestic violence restraining order against Depp, she had a bruise on her cheekbone from where she said he threw a phone at her. They have both accused each other of physical and emotional abuse. This did happen. (Reuters/Jonathan Ernst/Pool), She aslo claimed that Depp's apparent vulnerability and embarrassment while speaking about his struggle with substance abuse is indicative of "someone that was a survivor.". What these accusations have done, Depp claims, is hurt his career. On sites like Twitter and TikTok, the actress was branded a psycho, a witch, a liar and much worse. Andrew, thanks a lot. He said she might fling an ashtray at his head or hit him with her high heel or a telephone or whatevers handy., In our house, he said, we were never exposed to any type of safety. Far more heavily in favor of Depp online, the groups founder, Chris Bouzy, told me emotional.... Think that is largely heavily critical of Heard at stake for her Times opinion section on Facebook Twitter! And made him a Hollywood pariah whatever, the Rum Diary, in London article, and... Courtroom at the trial suggest that Depp struggles with drinking and drug use Think! 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