by Zachary Lozevski
The Johnny Depp and Amber Heard 6-week trial has already been halfway donem with many famous people testifying on each other's behalf. Many believe that Depp, is in the right with the rise of social movements - such as #justiceforjohnny - in the wake of new concerning audio recordings and evidence. Many also believe Amber is in the right as a gallant woman fighting against domestic abuse.
Johnny Depp is suing Amber Heard over defamation in the state of Virginia for $50 million over an op-ed she wrote for the Washington Post. In this op-ed, she states how she was a ‘public figure representing domestic abuse’ and mentioned how women are forced to keep quiet against men. She posted this article in the wake of the #MeToo movement (movement of sexual abuse survivors to speak up against their abuser, usually women are in the #MeToo movement) for more leverage against Mr. Depp. While the article did not explicitly state Johnny Depp’s name, Mrs. Heard indicated in court documents that she was referring to him. Amber Heard is also countersuing in a lawsuit filing for $100 million, by the way lawyers referred to her claims.
Johnny Depp has also been in a defamation trial before this in the U.K. over an article The Sun wrote calling him a ‘wife-beater.’ While he denied all claims of Amber’s testimonies of physical abuse, the court ruled in The Sun’s favor, with the judge stating that the evidence was overwhelming.
For Johnny Depp to prove libel, he has to prove that the statement is defamatory, relevant, and false. This is a very simplified explanation and the prosecution has to put in a lot of effort to prove slander. While it may be very easy for Mr. Depp to prove that the statements were defamatory and pertaining to him, such as him losing his $22.5 million Pirates in the Caribbean role, it will be harder for him to prove that these statements were false. Fortunately for Mr. Depp, many people are seeing the truth and more of the evidence of the case as it progresses.
Many pop-culture forces are also acting upon this trial. Many notable pop culture icons are in this case such as Elon Musk, a previous ex-partner of Amber Heard and who is paying for Heard’s defense, James Franco, who was on the testimony list, and the ACLU, which Amber is a part of.
This trial will definitely be nerve-racking for both the plaintiff and defendant with not a clear prediction of the verdict.
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