Last summer, on June 1 2022, everyone (and their mother) attentively watched as a Virginian jury handed down a long-awaited verdict in the litigious Depp v. Heard trial.
The highly publicized court case ruled on the domestic abuse allegations made by Amber Heard in an op-ed published in The Washington Post. In writing, Amber claimed to have “become a public figure representing domestic abuse,” insinuating that she had suffered abuse at the hands of her ex-husband Johnny Depp.
Depp, maintaining that his ex-wife had caused substantial damage to his reputation and career with her defamatory and unsubstantiated claims, filed a $50 million defamation lawsuit against Amber Heard. The Aquaman actress countersued her ex-husband for double the amount, but the jury *unanimously* ruled in favour of Johnny.
Via @johnnydepp on Instagram
The truth is, beyond its legal merits and technicalities, the Depp v. Heard case has transformed into somewhat of a cultural enigma. Ultimately, it was the court of public opinion that reigned supreme in this matter: No determination made by a judge or jury was as impactful as the social media craze surrounding the case.
Let’s take a look at the Depp v. Heard trial’s cultural craze…
In an unprecedented manner, the live-streamed trial generated *a riot* of online opinions. Millions upon millions of individuals, without any direct interest or involvement in the case, took to social media to give their two cents (in the form of TikToks, tweets, and ~exquisite~ memes).
L’Oréal drops Amber Heard as ambassador and Dior releases new Depp’s sauvage promotional video
The world is healing 🫶 https://t.co/XxUnGnzxPI
— Dick Warlock (@dickwarlock13) July 28, 2023
Amber Heard is really the martyr of our generation, they penalized and humiliated her just for speaking the truth in an op-ed about how society and the industry protect abusive men. We owe her everything. She’s our Joan of Arc pic.twitter.com/vCinZy5DuZ
— chateau bunny ❄️ (@cocainecross) July 25, 2023
Amber Turd has lost her contract as an ambassador at L’Oréal. Her job offers are dwindling. While #JohnnyDepp renewed his contract at @Dior for a few years and some $20 million, marking the biggest men’s fragrance pact of all time. #ThankYouDior #JohnnyDeppRises pic.twitter.com/kVSWUuHfPy
— 🍩🍉M.G., A “Relative” of Johnny Depp🦙🏴☠️ (@mg_violette) July 28, 2023
amber heard pic.twitter.com/wL65hZ1tr1
— sapphics like (@sapphicslike) July 19, 2023
In fact, not only did the public get to dissect both Johnny and Amber’s lives in excruciating detail, but they also took an interest in the parties’ lawyers, most notably MVP Camille Vasquez, who represented Depp throughout the trial. But could it be that some important details were lost in the social media mania?
To tackle this question head-on, Netflix has decided to launch a three-part documentary series titled Depp v. Heard which “shows both testimonies side-by-side for the first time.” The provocative docu-series aims to answer the trial’s overarching question, only this time, outside the courtroom: What is the *actual* truth?
The social and cultural documentary is coming to Netflix on August 16, so stay tuned.