Amber Heard on April 13 and Johnny Depp on April 11. 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). Complicating the story, Heard has admitted that she struck Depp while on Ambien. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. He also has a long history of temperamental outbursts in 1989, when he starred in 21 Jump Street, he pleaded guilty to assaulting a security guard. The actors completed their whirlwind divorce years ago but continue to volley accusations of physical abuse in what has turned out to be a battle for public opinion. Now the question is, these fans who are rallying behind him, do they have more sway than a potential financier or investor who is still putting the risk up? Ahouraian said. Actor Johnny Depp waves to the gallery as he leaves for a break Monday during his defamation trial in Fairfax, Va. against his ex-wife, Amber Heard. ", 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 looks on as he testifies during his defamation trial in the Fairfax County Circuit Courthouse in Fairfax, Virginia, on April 19, 2022. The trial between Johnny Depp and Amber Heard shows how bias impacts moral judgement. Juda Engelmayer, the president of public relations firm Herald PR who reps disgraced filmmaker Harvey Weinstein, agreed that the fact that the trial was televised was a loss for Heard in the public and suited Depp well as a natural entertainer. Our weekly mental wellness newsletter can help. Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. He said he was looking for his drugs, his cocaine, his coke. 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. Yet even if trolls and bots helped juice anti-Heard mania, there are obviously plenty of real people participating in it. Twitter: @AbcarianLAT. In April 2018, the London-based newspaper the Sun published a story headlined Gone Potty: How can JK Rowling be genuinely happy casting wife-beater Johnny Depp in the new Fantastic Beasts film?. 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. It may not make much difference, though. Earlier this week, Heard's former personal assistant, Kate James, testified that Heard once allegedly spit in her face while discussing a possible pay raise. Hopefully, teachers are talking to their students about this trial in Virginia, and maybe getting kids to open up about whats happening in their own lives. There's no way for an outsider to easily judge the dueling claims in the court battle between Johnny Depp and Amber Heard. But Depp neednt succeed in court to achieve his ends. "In our society," Bedera said, "we expect that victims fit a specific mold. UNIDENTIFIED CROWD: (Chanting) Johnny, Johnny, Johnny, Johnny, Johnny. In one 2016 recording taken after Head accused Depp of domestic abuse and obtained a restraining order, Heard says to Depp, "You can say it was a fair fight. The Times is committed to publishing a diversity of letters to the editor. In 2020, Depp lost a similar case against The Sun newspaperin a Britishcourt when the judge found that the evidence presented was "substantially true." This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, Your California Privacy Rights / Privacy Policy. Recordings of their bitter fights have been played. There was never any intent of physical or emotional harm. In this trial, the burden is on Depp's lawyers to prove that Heard's allegations of domestic violence against her ex-husband are false. The jury also awarded Amber with almost 2 million dollars in damages for being defamed by Depp's lawyer who called her allegations "a hoax". This was a he hit her, she hit him story, and The Post was remiss for publishing Heards unverified claims without a response from the other side. 141. Trial watchers obsess over the tiniest details to claim that Heard is a drug user and therefore untrustworthy. One major story in the trial which could be deemed an inconsistency is the saga of the severed finger tip. Its not exactly War of the Roses grotesque, but its pretty depressing. Depp, also an actor, does not face the same volume of accusations of artificiality. John C. Depp v. Amber Laura Heard (Depp v Heard) is an ongoing defamation trial in Fairfax County, Virginia that began on April 11, 2022. Both could be right, but then again, careers in Hollywood can go up or down for various other reasons age, changing tastes, good or bad reviews. But even if you believe that Heard acted inexcusably, the idea that she was the primary aggressor against a larger man with far more resources who was recorded cursing at her for daring to speak in an authoritative way defies logic. When you look at this parroting of how they're dressed alike, this definitely is a power-play between the two of them. Heard wrote that Depps alleged use of drugs and alcohol periodically led to violence, after which he would sober up and apologize. The publication had described him as a "wife-beater.". Or, in Canada, the pressing issue of training judges to recognize intimate partner violence, which is the subject of a current private members bill in the House of Commons. Sources reveal how the trial between Johnny Depp and Amber Heard will play out over the next few weeks and why each side is out for blood. One month after tying the knot, according to Depps lawsuit against Heard, she threw a vodka bottle at him in Australia. For too many social media users, Depp fandom and a bizarrely inflated sense of purpose and self-righteousness around this trial have become pretexts for a familiar hobby: harassing women online. A month later, the Washington Post published an opinion essay by Heard, in which she described herself as a public figure representing domestic abuse who had felt the full force of our cultures wrath for women who speak out. Though she did not mention Depp by name, it was clear she was referring to him. That made her the perfect object of a #MeToo backlash. So far, so common: Research shows that women going through the criminal justice system after surviving abuse often find themselves revictimized by a process that is hostile to their interests. "We all think that sexual violence is wrong and say that we will believe and support survivors, up until the perpetrator is someone we know and like. Heard complained that as a result of the bad publicity, photographers were following her and the tabloids posted unflattering pictures. Theirs was obviously a tempestuous marriage. (Jim Watson/Pool/AFP), Constantine added that she thinks Heard either has "borderline personality disorder" (BPD) or "some emotional insecurity issues. He says he didnt come close to hitting her, nor have I ever struck any woman in my life. He further accuses her of having thrown a vodka bottle his way that smashed and severed a finger. The trial, which is being carried live on Court TV, has been a feast for gossip gluttons who have strong stomachs. Conversely, Heard is countersuing for $100 million for nuisance with her attorneys set to argue that the essay in question was a matter of public interest and she should therefore be protected from a defamation suit. Depp, meanwhile, has well-documented and admitted issues with drug and alcohol abuse that dont seem to factor into his defenders case. All rights reserved. ", TOP 5 TAKEAWAYS FROM JOHNNY DEPP DEFAMATION TRIAL, She said he shoved his fingers insider her. So what's this all about? If shes telling the truth, one has to marvel at how thoroughly Depp and his team have sullied her name. Amber Heard attends trial at the Fairfax County Circuit Courthouse in Fairfax, Virginia, on April 19, 2022. For this list, we'll be looking at what doctors, attorneys, and other professionals have. I do not believe that he was abusive with Amber," Constantine told Fox News Digital. It doesnt mean he seriously thought about doing it. First Amendment scholars say the battle between Johnny Depp and Amber Heard is unlikely to have any deep significance for the law. A color of control, power and dominance. the court of public opinion is the only one that matters," a crisis PR . As CNN has reported, social media responses to the trial are overwhelmingly from users in Depps corner and are often vicious to Heard, who is more than two decades younger than Depp and was much less famous prior to the marriage, divorce and all of the ugliness that followed. Amber Heard testifies that Johnny Depp hit her on May 4, 2022. Johnny Depp's latest appearance in court seems to be swaying public opinion as the actor took the stand on Tuesday in his multi-million dollar defamation suit against his ex-wife, Amber. Her father had beaten her, she was not going to end. 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. Both Johnny Depp and Amber Heard admit that there was violence in this relationship. And so his side of the story has been told in full. Depp currently being more vocally backed on Twitter. "A woman never wears black in the courtroom. (Elizabeth Frantz/Pool/AFP) The actress also described incidents in. He went into this knowing that all of this was going to come out, Ahouraian said. Rhetorical contortions aside, it seems that both Depp and Heard have anger issues rooted in childhood trauma. (He claimed on the stand that the text messages were intended to be humorous.). You've successfully subscribed to this newsletter! Thursday, he admitted that he had assaulted a couple of cabinets.. And people who work alongside him have a bit clearer of a picture than somebody who's watching it on TikTok and doesn't know any of the people involved in this case. Only radical intervention can save juvenile justice, Commentary: L.A.s snowy mountains are a glorious, fleeting thing to behold. It isnt going to go flawlessly and she is going to make mistakes, Engelmayer said. In 1994, he trashed a $1,200-a-night Manhattan hotel room he shared with then-girlfriend Kate Moss and paid nearly $10,000 for the damage. This is also not unusual. Depp is suing Heard for $50 million over a 2018 op-ed she wrote for The Washington Post in which she described herself as a "public figure representing domestic abuse." Though Depp was not. Toplines: Results among U.S. adult citizens for every question. Johnny Depp looks on in the courtroom at the Fairfax County Circuit Court in Fairfax, Virginia, on May 3, 2022. I daresay this marriage was doomed from the start and not just because of the couples 22-year age difference. In a video shown in court, Johnny Depp is seen pacing in an elevator after a fight with Amber Heard on May 21, 2016. What these accusations have done, Depp claims, is hurt his career. Online, theres a level of industrial-scale bullying directed at Heard that puts all previous social media pile-ons to shame. Although the article did not use his name, Depp claims it destroyed his career and made him a Hollywood pariah. So this was back in 2018. By Jessica Winter May 23, 2022 Update: On June 1st, the jury awarded. And that's the fight we're having in public right now.". The actors completed their whirlwind divorce years ago but. CNN Sans & 2016 Cable News Network. 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. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by Refinitiv Lipper. Johnny Depp and ex-wife Amber Heard are continuing to face off in a highly publicized libel trial. But now it seems that outpouring of support has left Heard with Depp currently being more vocally backed on Twitter. 10:17 a.m. April 25, 2022: An earlier version said a judge in Londons Royal Courts of Justice determined in 2018 that Johnny Depp had not been libeled. The trial of Depp's defamation case against Heard entered its 15th day on Thursday. Market data provided by Factset. LIMBONG: Yeah. (In a series of 2016 texts, Depp and fellow actor Paul Bettany discussed the idea of killing Heard, which he said on the stand was "abstract humor." Both Depp and Heard seem to have a loose relationship with the truth. Related:How Amber Heard Really Felt About The Public Hate During The Johnny Depp Trial All Rights Reserved. Heard was granted a restraining order against Depp in 2016 after claiming he had struck her face with a phone and she was then subjected to an online backlash from fans of the star. He filed a libel lawsuit against her, claiming hed lost work as a result of the piece, including a starring role in a Pirates of the Caribbean sequel for which he claims he would have earned $40 million. I was angry, he testified in London when asked about his history of eruptions, but that does not mean I have an anger problem.. Depp denies all claims of abuse and is suing Heard for $50 million, seeking to prove she damaged his career with the Post piece. "Absolutely, it's already happening," said Bedera. She countersued the "Pirates of the Caribbean" star for $100 million, accusing him and his former lawyer of conspiring to destroy her reputation in a series of smear campaigns. Whether or not he wins I dont think it matters to him or even to the court of public opinion, Lizardo said. EDITORS NOTE: Follow Froma Harrop on Twitter @FromaHarrop. Why is there such a disparity? Johnny Depp won his defamation trial, and Amber Heard has partially won her countersuit against Depp. What was clearly a complicated relationship has been rendered in black and white by legions of Depp superfans who seem to find some larger life purpose in standing up for the honor of Captain Jack Sparrow and smearing the woman who dared accuse him of wrongdoing. "This is not one of these Johnny Depp performances. One almost suspects that, for some of the most vociferous defenders of Depp online, the misogyny is the point. And so what's sort of, like, on display is the dynamics of our, you know, cultural fandom sort of interacting with how, you know, we as a society view women. Opinion: Jurors in Johnny Depp and Amber Heard case face choice over which actor to believe. Were supposed to believe that the trial is a grotesque celebrity sideshow, a media circus, a distraction from the ongoing crises of war and climate change. Wear the Gucci tie and the Gucci pin. Follow Elizabeth Renzetti on Twitter: @lizrenzettiOpens in a new window. Inside Johnny Depp and Amber Heard's legal battle At issue in the trial is Ms Heard's 2018 opinion piece in the Washington Post, describing herself as a "public figure representing. We've received your submission. Plaintiff Johnny Depp is making claim for. This story has been shared 129,886 times. In the opinion piece, Heard referred to herself as a "public figure representing domestic abuse". Depp won$10 million in compensatory damages and, $5 million in punitive damages. Previous reporting and testimony at the trial suggest that Depp struggles with drinking and drug use. There are ambiguities in the sordid conflict between the divorced actors Johnny Depp and Amber Heard, but some things are clear. Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. California entertainment lawyer Mitra Ahouraian added that the case isnt really about winning a defamation claim but about clearing Depps name in the public sphere, as hes said. This, of course, doesnt mean that women are the victims and men the perpetrators in every single case. Editorial: Los Angeles County bus riders get no shelter from the storm. Life is stressful. The panel awarded Heard $2 million in damages. [There is] a lot at stake for her. The ruling was made in 2020. Social media doesnt care about the facts, they just care about what they see.. Myths and stereotypes about domestic abuse also influence the public's reactions. But in this case, some of it was Bouzy estimated that there were 340 inauthentic Twitter accounts devoted to defaming Heard and amplifying petitions calling for her to be fired from acting and modeling gigs. 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