Social media’s verdict claims Johnny Depp is winning trial with Amber Heard

According to a social media's jury vote, Johnny Depp is winning his defamation trial as Amber Heard has yet to take the stand. Wiki Commons

All is fair in love and war. But when it comes to the ex-marriage of actors Amber Heard and Johnny Depp, Virginia Judge Penney Azcarate will decide what is truly fair in their previous love affair and ongoing defamation trial. Meanwhile, discourse on social media has reached a verdict of its own, as TikTok presents Depp in a down to earth light while Heard is seen as the villain. 

Despite the serious nature of Heard’s physical, sexual and emotional abuse allegations against her ex-husband and Depp’s graphic testimonies of experiencing domestic violence, TikTok users were quick to find comedy in small moments of stupidity throughout the trial. For example, when Heard said she used a Milani color correcting palette to cover the bruises Depp inflicted upon her but the palette she referenced wasn’t released until a year after Heard and Depp got divorced. 

With many of the jokes made online being at Heard’s expense, senior screenwriting major Synne Sollie said social media has painted out Depp to be vastly more likable in comparison.

“I've been trying to look for (social media) profiles being on Amber’s side just because I was interested,” Sollie said. “I have not been able to find any. It seems social media is incredibly one-sided right now. Everyone seems to be taking Johnny's side — not only taking Johnny's side but also ridiculing Amber and her legal team. That's just how social media works.”

Depp and Heard tied the knot in 2015 but split 15 months later in 2016. In 2018, Heard wrote an op-ed in the Washington Post, documenting her experience as a domestic violence survivor. Despite her not mentioning Depp’s name, people speculated it was about him, and he was dropped from almost all his films and partnerships, except Dior.

Depp was persistent that Heard abused him and not the other way around, contrary to Heard’s claims. Now, Depp is suing Heard for $50 million in damages, claiming defamation. Heard counter-sued Depp for $100 million and told the New York Times she only lashed out at him in self defense. 

With the public trial beginning April 11 in Fairfax, Virginia, Depp was the first person to take the stand. Depp has already made an impression on the public with his sarcastic comments and relaxed interactions with his lawyers. 

“(Depp) really has an enormous fan base,” Sollie said. “And that can be dangerous because I feel like they would back him up regardless of whatever. But I think that's mainly why (this trial has) gotten such high attention; it’s because of him.” 

Even when claims have been brought up against Depp in court, his fans have stuck by his side, which Sollie said is a reflection of the media’s angle on him.

“There are text messages from him, they've shown in court, where he'll text his friends after arguments with Amber, and he says things along the lines of, ‘Let's burn Amber, I want to see her corpse burn’ — very graphic, horrible texts,'' Sollie said. “People on social media are excusing his behavior, and that just speaks to how such an enormous fan base — due to his work — is a little bit dangerous in terms of looking at it from an objective standpoint.”

In addition to Depp already having a big fan base, Heard’s lawyers have not helped make Heard more likable as her lawyers have had moments of confusion, making them look unqualified. In particular, Heard’s lawyer, co-counsel Adam Natelhaft, objected to his own question when he asked Depp's house manager, Ben King, about Heard allegedly severing Depp’s finger.

Additionally, when Heard’s lawyer, Elaine Bredehoft, was questioning psychologist Shannon Curry about gaslighting and manipulation, Bredehoft asked Curry questions that revealed Depp as a victim of domestic violence. 

According to junior creative producing major Gabby Lee, in almost every single social media post about Heard’s lawyers, the public believes her lawyers are not making a strong case for her.

“Amber Heard must have gotten her lawyers at Shein,” Lee said. “No good lawyer would lay out exactly what Amber has done to him by accident. It’s straight up comical. (Depp) looks confused and amused because apparently she doesn’t know who the hell she’s defending.”

Quincy Eggert, a junior broadcast journalism and documentary major, said since Heard was not dropped from any of her projects but Depp was dropped from all of his, she does not have as strong of a defamation case.

“I don't know if (Heard) has really suffered major career losses, whereas Johnny Depp definitely has suffered some career loss,” Eggert said. “(A big question) is: is it true what she's saying? That's a big contingency of defamation because you can't defame someone by saying the truth about them.” 

Although social media can angle things to make people believe a very specific point of view, this trial is different because, according to Lee, what social media is showing is the exact events happening in court. 

“I think the media can definitely make something look however they want it to look, which ultimately sways public opinion; I mean, they do it in politics all the time,” Lee said. “But to me, this is one of the situations in which I trust the clips being put out — partly because they always show the reactions of the two parties, (which) are very telling.” 

On a TikTok, Heard can be seen talking to her lawyer with a very positive demeanor, but then when she stops talking to her lawyer, she immediately straightens out her posture and her facial expression turns grim. 

“Amber’s demeanor is so unbelievably smug and not victim-like at all, which is what she’s claimed to be,” Lee said. “Johnny isn’t playing a role he’s quite literally being himself.”

However, Sollie said she wishes social media users would acknowledge the severity of Amber’s mental conditions, since intense mood swings and highly dynamic personal relationships are common symptoms of histrionic personality disorder — which Heard was diagnosed with by one psychiatrist at the trial. Heard was also diagnosed with histrionic personality disorder.

“In my abnormal psychology class, we learned about these different diagnoses,” Sollie said. “A general description of people who have (histrionic personality disorder) is that they present themselves kind of like being on stage where they're always acting. People with the disorder have a tendency to kind of exaggerate and enhance things that have happened. If she has those two personality disorders, I feel incredible sympathy for her.”

There is much anticipation for Heard to take the stand Monday to see what she has to say to counter Depp’s claims. 

“I really hope we get to see some witnesses that she gets to bring in because right now it's quite one-sided,” Sollie said. 

Correction: The attorney representing Amber Heard who objected to his own question was co-counsel Adam Natelhaft. The Panther originally misidentified this individual as Benjamin Rottenborn.