'Depp Vs. Heard' documentary re-ignites debate, support emerges for Amber
Hollywood superstar Johnny Depp and his ex-wife and actor Amber Heard fought a defamation case in Virginia in 2022, with the decision tilting in Depp's favor. The steaming story that kept America heavily engaged formed the basis of Netflix's new documentary Depp Vs. Heard, which landed on the streamer on August 16. Now, it has re-opened the debate, with people rallying behind Heard.
Why does this story matter?
The explosive defamation trial went on for seven weeks in Fairfax County, Virginia. The altercation finds its roots in a The Washington Post op-ed written by Heard in 2018 where she called herself "a public figure representing domestic abuse." Although Depp wasn't named, he sued her on defamation grounds and demanded $50M, while she countersued for $100M. They reached a settlement in December 2022.
Documentary has helped people view the case in new light
The documentary features a wide range of evidence presented in the court from both sides, including audio recordings and images. Though the documentary doesn't side with anyone, it seems to have lent support to Heard's fans, who are now talking about the "miscarriage of justice." "Watching the documentary and it's actually crazy how much hate Amber Heard had to endure," said an X user.
Heard's fans aren't convinced with the jury even today
Talking about how the jury "completely ignored" Heard's side, another user said, "[All that evidence], and the jury still believed him. Juries do wild things sometimes." Another spoke about the long-term ramifications of the order and tweeted, "I can not get over what damage Johnny Depp has caused to the movement of women's and victims' emancipation movements." "She needed better lawyers," another opined.
Looking back: Immense support outpoured for Depp throughout trial
The case was believed to have been heavily damaged by social media users and influencers, especially the ones that ran live streams on YouTube/TikTok at the time of the hearing (which was also live streamed). Since Depp is an A-lister with a legion of followers, Heard's supporters believe that the jury wasn't completely sequestered and got "influenced" by the outpouring of love for Depp.
Heard's lawyer had also blamed social media influence
Last year, Heard's lawyer Elaine Bredehoft told NBC after the final ruling, "How can [the jury not be influenced by online chatter]? They went home every night. They have families. The families are on social media. We had a 10-day break in the middle because of the judicial conference. There's no way they couldn't have been influenced by it."
