The Unintended Victims of Celebrity Gossip: Depp v. Heard

by- Whitney Derman 

Recently, a majority of social media users were bombarded with opinions in the Johnny Depp vs. Amber Heard case. The case initially went to court because Johnny Depp sued Amber Heard for defamation, speaking about being a domestic abuse victim in an editorial piece written in 2018 (Mulshine, 2022 ). However, during the court sessions, he revealed that Amber had also abused him. In response to this, millions of people on social media weighed in their opinions on who abused who while simultaneously mocking the other. On TikTok, videos mocking Amber’s testimony received thousands of likes, and on Facebook, people posted edgy memes telling others to unfollow them if they ever thought the other party was innocent (Winter, 2022). The social media content surrounding the case encouraged users to form opinions on the trial, and the algorithm awarded those who chose Team Depp with increased views, making it easier for those that wanted to go viral or maintain their influencer spot, barely having a say on who they supported (O’Brien). The case was televised and open to the public which gave influencers and other social media users a lot of material to use when making and posting content. The verdict reached the conclusion that both parties were guilty of defamation: Amber Heard had to pay Johnny Depp 15 million and Depp had to pay Heard 2 million (O’Brien, 2022). Although the case was focused heavily on domestic abuse, especially when talked about online, that was not the initial reason for the court case, so there is no definitive answer on who was the abuser and who was the victim (or if both people took on both roles at different times). As a result, this article is to not place blame on either person, but to explain why choosing sides and reducing domestic violence through a social media trend is harmful. It is important to recognize the necessity to be mindful of which social media trends you take part in as they can have unintended consequences. In this case, for example, hateful comments could easily deter a victim of domestic abuse or violence from speaking out and sharing their story.

One huge issue was the case trending on social media before any verdict was reached, and users were basing who they supported on feelings rather than facts. Amber Heard’s every move was scrutinized, from her emotions to her body language, meanwhile Depp’s emotions and body language were not as prominently discussed in the media. This doesn’t help tell us who was guilty or innocent because women are often scrutinized on small details that people don’t even think about when speaking about a man (Plank, 2022). On the other hand, the national domestic abuse rate is lower for men, which may affect the believability of their stories due to lower numbers. This may be in part because some men are afraid to speak up about their abusive situations and experiences. “Approximately 1 in 4 women (23.2%) and 1 in 7 men (13.9%) have experienced severe physical violence by an intimate partner” (CCADV, n.d.). It is important to remember that speaking up for those victims and potential ones can happen without ridiculing another potential victim. Another factor is that the whole world knows Johnny Depp–from Pirates of the Caribbean to Tim Burton films and many others in between–he’s a household name. Many rallied behind Depp because the viewpoint of him potentially being an abuser was out of the question. While Amber Heard is also a famous actress, she is arguably less famous. She starred in Aquaman and many other films and TV shows, so not supporting her conflicted less with the public’s personal interests. The fact Johnny Depp is incredibly famous helped tip the odds on social media in his favor.

These repercussions of the media can affect people who are not in the public eye who may be victims of domestic abuse or violence. While most people are not likely to be in a domestic abuse situation with a celebrity or have their case publicized, it is common to deal with the other person being well-liked or popular and thus more likely to be believed. When people have strong, positive feelings towards someone, it can sway them from even considering that the other person could be an abuser (citation here?). So, if the victim is less known, less popular, or less liked, people are inclined to take the side of the person they know and love.

A major reason victim of domestic abuse/violence do not speak up is because they are afraid of not being believed. Many men are fearful of being wrongly accused of rape or becoming “Victims of Me Too,” and only 2%-10% of rape reports are found to be false (Lisak et al., 2010). This fear mongering combined with how much Heard and Depp were ridiculed for speaking out can have disastrous consequences by perpetuating fear from any gender. In this regard, this case hurts in two key areas: first, not only was Heard (and sometimes Depp) disbelieved, but also ridiculed. Someone in an abusive situation may be wary and fearful of the same thing happening to them. Some may even consider staying in an abusive situation potentially better than risking being ostracized by society. Secondly, it may be interesting to consider that the large support behind Depp may have the positive effect of encouraging more male victims to speak out. However, because both parties said they were victims, and people made quick judgments based on what they saw on TV and social media, individuals might see this as an example of either party being ridiculed for speaking up.

The truth is, who is innocent or not is only a small part of this case. The case started in 2018 because of a piece Heard published that detailed how she was a victim of domestic abuse. She did not mention Depp by name, but he sued her for defamation of character anyway (Mulshine, 2022). At the core of this case, is the story of two individuals speaking up about abuse. One was ridiculed more than the other, and the other was more supported. Both individuals emotionally struggled through this case, telling their story from their perspective. It stands to reason then that victims of domestic violence or possibly other kinds of abuse, would watch and read everything from this case and consider that the same thing could happen to them for speaking up (Mulshine, 2022).

So what does this all mean? When events such as these happen to celebrities, it is easy to write it off as celebrity gossip and start poking fun at the situation. Whether it’s a court case, a celebrity saying something outrageous, or their physical appearance changing drastically, these things can happen to anyone. When posting a comment or video online, it is crucial to consider not just how many likes and shares the content will get, but whether it will hurt anyone. Although people writing or posting disrespectfully aimed at celebrities may assume it’s OK, anyone can read them, and we don’t know who may be triggered or activated because they are dealing with a similar situation. Always be mindful of what you post on the internet because it can have unintended consequences far beyond your intentions.

We at ARO are here to support you in your personal healing journey to complete well-being. We bring awareness and education to 13 different types of abuse including Narcissistic, Sexual, Physical, Psychological, Financial, Child, Self, Cyberbullying, Bullying, Spousal, Elderly, Isolation and Workplace, and help others heal and find peace. Please support our efforts by going to GoARO.org to learn how you can make an impact on the Abuse Care Community.

Resources

Dickson, E. J. (2022, May 9). ‘demoralizing and demeaning’: A gross tiktok trend mocking Amber Heard is going viral. Rolling Stone. https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/culture-news/amber-heard-johnny-depp-tiktok-trend-mocking-testimony-1350584/

Goldman, H. (2022, April 27). The post-post-#metoo era: Johnny Depp & Amber Heard’s TikTok trial. Owner’s Magazine. https://ownersmag.com/depp-heard-trial-me-too/

Mulshine, M. (2022). Amber heard support grows slowly in Hollywood after depp trial verdict. MSN. https://www.msn.com/en-us/entertainment/news/amber-heard-support-grows-slowly-in-hollywood-after-depp-trial-verdict/ar-AAY4R76?ocid=msedgntp&cvid=189d8a544f044ed9bddb63409197f646

O’Brien, S. A. (2022, May 15). Tiktok makes accidental influencers, targets of those posting about Johnny Depp, amber heard trial. KMBC. https://www.kmbc.com/article/tiktok-johnny-depp-amber-heard-trial/40001969#

Plank, L. (2022, June 1). The Johnny Depp-Amber Heard Trial Verdict? we’ve all lost. MSNBC. https://www.msnbc.com/opinion/msnbc-opinion/johnny-depp-amber-heard-trial-verdict-we-ve-all-lost-n1295801

Winter, J. (2022, June 2). The johnny depp–amber heard verdict is chilling. The New Yorker. https://www.newyorker.com/culture/cultural-comment/the-depp-heard-verdict-is-chilling

CCADV. (n.d.). National Statistics about Domestic Violence. https://www.ctcadv.org/information-about-domestic-violence/national-statistics/