Johnny Depp v Amber Heard Flashcards

Question

Johnny Depp’s Ex-Bandmate and Friend of 40 Years Testifies He Saw Bruises on Amber Heard’s Arm - Law & Crime; May 2022

Answer 1

In a recorded deposition shown during the Depp v. Heard defamation trial, Johnny Depp’s longtime friend and former bandmate Bruce Witkin testified that he once saw bruises on Amber Heard’s arm that looked like finger marks from being grabbed, though he never witnessed Depp physically assault her. Witkin noted the bruise occurred around the time of a 2013 documentary shoot and did not appear to be the result of a punch. He also recalled seeing Depp with a fat lip around 2015 or 2016. Witkin described Depp as jealous, using drugs and alcohol, and increasingly isolated by an inner circle of yes-men. He said their 40-year friendship fell apart after Depp accused him of betrayal for prior testimony and then cut off all communication. Witkin claimed he was unfairly pushed out of Depp’s life by people close to the actor. Despite their falling out, Witkin emphasized, “I wasn’t going to lie.” Following his deposition, Depp’s former talent agent Tracey Jacobs also testified via video, stating that Depp had never been accused of physical abuse by any woman other than Heard.

Answer 2

During cross-examination in Johnny Depp’s defamation trial against Amber Heard, Heard’s lawyer Benjamin Rottenborn presented a series of graphic and disturbing text messages Depp had sent to various people, aiming to portray Depp as abusive, vulgar, and self-destructive. Key Text Messages Read in Court: To actor Paul Bettany on June 11, 2013, Depp wrote: “Let’s burn Amber!!!” “Let’s drown her before we burn her!!!” “I will f** her burnt corpse afterward to make sure she is dead.”* On January 17, 2013, in other unspecified texts: “For the idiot cow!!!” “Will do I'll smack the ugly c** around before I let her in, don't worry.”* “Did that worthless hooker arrive.” On December 18, 2014, in a message to Heard: “I always regret it when I jump, or worse, when you jump. I'm sorry for being less, for your disappointment in me. For my behaviour. I'm a f**ing savage. Gotta' lose that. Gonna' lose that. The devil is all around, right?”* In another message while they were still married, Depp wrote: “I never want to lay eyes on that filthy whore again.” To Elton John, Depp described part of himself as a “monster” who “would have swallowed [him up] if it wasn’t for you.” Depp testified Elton supported him in sobriety. In a text to Heard’s sister Whitney on April 9, 2015, Depp wrote: “I…though I never ever want to lay eyes on that filthy whore Amber, most embarrassing.” Depp also admitted to doing cocaine with Marilyn Manson, and laughed as he said Manson once gave him a pill “to stop him talking.” Regarding his ex, Vanessa Paradis, Depp described her in a message as a: “French extortionist” and “ex-c**.”* In a message after damaging a hotel room, Depp wrote: “There are hookers and animals in here.” “Is it okay to put on a condom after the fact, I mean if I just wear it for the rest of the day, like that works doesn’t it?” “I’ve had to kill a few of the animals for sustenance. I’ve made quite a mess. There’s blood and animal tracks everywhere.” Substance Use and Contradictions: Depp had previously claimed he was sober during key incidents. However, Rottenborn introduced a text to Bettany around the time of the Boston-to-L.A. flight in 2014, contradicting that: “No food for days… Powders… Half a bottle of Whiskey, a thousand Red Bull and vodkas, pills, 2 bottles of Champers on plane…” This conflicted with Depp’s earlier testimony that he took only two oxycodone pills and locked himself in the bathroom to avoid Heard. Rottenborn also cited a 2014 text to musician Patti Smith in which Depp admitted to fighting with Heard, getting drunk, and being “so disappointed in myself.” Trial Context: Depp admitted the texts were written in “dark moments” and apologized, saying he was in pain and went to “dark places.” He maintains he never abused Heard, and blames the 2018 op-ed for ruining his career. However, Heard’s team argued that Disney cut ties with Depp before the op-ed and that his career decline was due to his own actions.

Answer 3

According to The Hollywood Reporter, per the actor's "pay-or-play" contract, Depp will receive an 8-figure payday for the film despite shooting only one scene since filming started on September 20 in the UK. Depp's contract would require the actor to "be fully compensated whether or not the film is made and even if it is recast," sources said. There was reportedly no morality clause in his contract. A Warner Bros. representative did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment on the matter. Depp was asked to step down from "Fantastic Beasts 3" days after losing a libel case against the publishers of the UK newspaper, The Sun, over a 2018 article, which described him as a "wife beater." The allegations are in connection with Depp's ex, Amber Heard. The two wed in 2015 in a private ceremony after meeting on the set of "The Rum Diary." Heard filed for divorce a year later, accusing Depp of domestic abuse. Depp has repeatedly denied the allegations and said he plans to appeal the ruling. In a typed letter, shared to Instagram, last week, Depp announced that he'd be stepping back from the franchise. "I wish to let you know that I have been asked to resign by Warner Bros. from my role as Grindelwald in 'Fantastic Beasts' and I have respected and agreed to that request," he wrote. A Warner Bros. spokesperson confirmed the news to Insider, saying in a statement Friday: "We thank Johnny for his work on the films to date." "'Fantastic Beasts 3' is currently in production," the statement continued, "and the role of Gellert Grindelwald will be recast." Depp's screentime in "Fantastic Beasts 3" reportedly would have been similar to costars Jude Law, who plays a young Albus Dumbledore, and Eddie Redmayne, who plays protagonist Newt Scamander. Still, Depp's salary exceeded both his costars due to his previous box-office track record, sources said. Two of his five "Pirates of the Caribbean" films grossed over $1 billion worldwide, while "At World's End," the franchise's third installment released in 2007, topped $960 million at the box office. In recent years, Depp's star power hasn't guaranteed box-office success, however. In fact, Disney is moving forward with more "Pirates" movies, but without Depp.

Answer 4

Here’s a clear and concise summary of the article, highlighting the key revelations that emerged during Johnny Depp’s UK libel trial against The Sun newspaper, which called him a “wife-beater.” Depp sued The Sun’s publisher, News Group Newspapers (NGN), over the claim, leading to several major disclosures about his personal life and relationship with Amber Heard: 1. Depp’s Early Drug Use Depp testified that he began using drugs around age 11 by taking his mother’s “nerve pills,” which he said helped him cope with a chaotic home life. He later claimed Heard enabled his relapses instead of supporting his sobriety. 2. Giving His Daughter Weed Depp admitted giving his daughter, Lily-Rose, marijuana when she was 13 — not as encouragement, but out of concern for her safety. He preferred she try it with him rather than with strangers at a party. Depp consulted Lily-Rose’s mother, Vanessa Paradis, beforehand and said he prioritized honesty and safety with his children. 3. Heard Allegedly Hit Depp After He Learned He Lost $750 Million Depp said he discovered in April 2016 (the night of Heard’s 30th birthday party) that his former business managers had cost him $650 million in earnings and left him $100 million in debt from unpaid taxes. He alleged Heard became violent and punched him that night. Heard, however, accused Depp of arriving drunk, pulling her hair, and throwing objects. 4. Heard’s Ex-Assistant Accused Her of Stealing a Sexual Assault Story Kate James, Heard’s former assistant, testified that Heard appropriated James’s own rape story — involving an assault at machete-point in Brazil — for her own abuse claims. James called it “outrageous” and said it caused her emotional distress. 5. Texts Reveal Elon Musk Offered Heard 24/7 Security Text messages revealed Elon Musk offered Heard around-the-clock security after she told him she planned to seek a restraining order against Depp. Musk wrote: “The offer would stand, even if you never wanted to see me again... sorry for being an idiot. The radio silence hurts a lot. It only matters because I really like you.” Additional Context: Depp denied all abuse allegations, claiming he was the true victim of domestic violence in their marriage. Heard’s attorney responded that “the evidence is clear: Johnny Depp repeatedly beat Amber Heard.” The couple divorced in August 2016, with Heard receiving a $7 million settlement, which she said she donated to charity. Depp later sued Heard in the U.S. for defamation over her 2018 Washington Post op-ed, where she described herself as a public figure representing domestic abuse — though she didn’t name Depp.

Answer 5

In the defamation trial between Johnny Depp and Amber Heard, forensic photo expert Norbert "Bryan" Neumeister testified that photos submitted by Heard to show alleged injuries could not be authenticated. Using metadata analysis, including Exif data, Neumeister pointed out that some of the photos were not consistent with original iPhone images, but instead appeared to be rendered or modified using an editing program. He emphasized that three photos showing bruising on Heard’s arm did not match forensically, having undergone changes in size and characteristics, leading him to conclude there was “no way for any forensic expert to validate these photos.” This testimony followed earlier accusations from Depp’s attorney, Camille Vasquez, who alleged during cross-examination that Heard edited injury photos to make her face appear redder. When shown two nearly identical photos side by side, Heard claimed the difference was due to lighting, but Vasquez suggested the color had been saturated to enhance the appearance of bruising. Social media users also weighed in, overlaying the images and pointing out similarities that suggested editing. Adding to the controversy, a clip of Heard’s testimony went viral when she referenced using a “bruise kit” before correcting herself and calling it a “theater makeup kit”. Heard claimed she used the kit to cover up bruises using foundation and concealer, but the term “bruise kit” — typically used in stage makeup to create bruises — sparked skepticism and mockery online. The moment fueled further doubt from critics who questioned the authenticity of her injury claims and evidence.

Answer 6

Amber's phone had two versions of the same photo, but with different saturation levels. A red mark is visible on her face in both photos. She submitted both items. Despite these photos being all over the internet, almost none of them say what date the photo(s) were actually taken. The metadata is cropped out and the article doesn't note the date. This makes it difficult for a person who is only casually following the case to put the photos in context. These photos are from the May 21 2016 incident. And what's often lost in the discussion is that the photo(s) are not the most significant piece of evidence for that incident, not even close. Multiple pieces of other evidence corroborate that this incident occurred, that the redness on her face was real, and that it was caused by Johnny throwing a phone. The claim that she's lying, and that she 'edited' a photograph When questioned about the difference between the two photos, she said "it looks to me" the colors were different because they were two photos taken under different lighting in the same bathroom. Her language was not that definitive and she explained her reasoning being that the vanity light in the bathroom has a warmer tone to the overhead light. It appears that this was wrong, and this is being spread as a proven 'lie' by Amber. The assumption that Depp's lawyers and supporters want you to make is that she 'photoshopped' a bruise onto her face, that no incident causing a bruise occurred. That's what Johnny's lawyer's cross-examination was suggesting, that there never was any bruise. Depp's lawyers cannot be claiming she simply changed the coloring to make a mark look worse, because that would be admitting the mark was real in the first place, and they can't do that because their case was that he never assaulted her, not even once. But as I said, the redness is visible in both photographs, so it doesn't quite work unless they have another explanation for the redness. Why were there two versions of the photograph This is a more technical question, but it's been suggested that iphones by default will save two version of the same photo with different HDR (exposure) levels. If Amber had purposely created a second version of the photo with different coloring, it seems unlikely that she would then submit both versions of the photo. And then, if she accidentally submitted both, it seems unlikely that she would say on the stand that it was two photos taken under lighting because she would have known that the metadata will show it was taken at the same time. What injury the photo is supposed to show This photo (or photos) were from the May 21 phone-throwing incident. This incident is one of the most highly corroborated incidents. In other words, Amber is not relying on this photo to prove the incident occurred. On this night, Johnny threw a phone at Amber and pulled her hair while she was on the phone with her friend, iO. iO's statement says "Then I heard something that sounded as if the phone had dropped on the floor, and Amber yelped. I heard her pick up the phone and she said, “he just fucking threw the phone in my face” This was also the incident that her two other friends, Rocky and Drew, saw the aftermath of. It was Rocky who took the photo in question, and it's never said whether Rocky was controlling the phone and its settings the whole time. Rocky took the first photo at 8:23PM, just 5 minutes after iO texted "calling 911" to Amber. This photo shows the redness on her face already (page 116). The redness on her face was corroborated by the police who attended shortly after (though they assumed at the time the redness was from crying). The bruise from this phone throw was then photographed days later when Amber filed for a TRO. Johnny said in a text that he threw the phone over his shoulder (ie, he acknowledges throwing the phone but claims he didn't intentionally hit her), so we know he threw the phone. His UK statement says "I then tossed the phone next to Ms Heard and onto the sofa on which she was sitting." Similar to his text, but omitting the detail about throwing it over his shoulder. Johnny is seen on camera in the elevator immediately after the incident looking very agitated. Rocky's statement says she saw both saw Johnny shouting and throwing things, and Drew's statement says that Johnny yelled in Drew's face. Johnny himself testified he was "very angry" and "very upset". It's undisputed that Johnny and Amber were arguing. Why would Johnny, in the midst of an argument, turn around and throw his phone over his shoulder in Amber's direction? I cannot think of a single scenario where that behavior makes sense. His UK version, where he simply tossed the phone on the couch, is a lot more plausible than the version he told Amber's mom. However, remember that iO said she heard the phone hitting the ground, and Amber yelping. We all know Johnny throws things when he's angry. According to iO and Amber's story, Johnny took the phone twice to talk to iO, and Amber says the first time he "tossed the phone away" and it was the second time that he "wound up his arm back like he was a baseball pitcher" and threw it at her. So Johnny might be recounting the first throw, and ignoring the second. Johnny's only explanation for the events of this night and testimony of Amber and her three friends is that it was "a choreographed hoax". Another question is whose phone Johnny threw. Although a lot of the testimony and statements simply refer to throwing "the phone", Drew's statement says: "Amber had Johnny's phone and I took it from her - she told me that he had thrown it at her and hit her in the face with it then left it behind". Johnny's UK testimony confirms that he left his phone in Amber's apartment and that Jerry Judge, Johnny's security guy, went back to go get it. On the other hand, the way Amber tells the story it sounds like he threw her phone, because she was using her phone to talk to iO (page 116). It was never discussed in the UK, perhaps because it's not an important detail, and everyone just said "the phone". When Jerry retrieved the phone, Josh challenged Jerry about why they stood around and did nothing while Johnny was violent, and Jerry "said something along the lines of it's not his business, they are husband and wife, he barely touched her." The other evidence Johnny's team presented The other evidence presented by Johnny's team was largely about people not seeing the bruise in the days after it happened, those people all being men who worked for Johnny (his artist friend Isaac, his security Sean Bett) or in Johnny's building (the concierge). The type of bruising caused by a thrown phone is not major, and would be very easy to cover with make up. And we all know how difficult it is for people, especially men, to tell when a woman has natural make up on. Comments: - I find this argument kind of annoying, because you can clearly see the bruising in both photos. If they are actually different it doesn't matter, and if one has a filter it still doesn't matter because we have the original. It also makes perfect sense with her story that she didn't know. Lots of stuff was going on, Josh and Rocky were both there and Rocky was taking photos. Would you remember if a photo YOU DIDN'T TAKE from 6 years ago had a filter on if it was shown to you? Assuming the saturation was turned up by Rocky after she took the photo (most likely imo) so the picture is technically edited, how is it different to the deep fried train photo Johnny entered into evidence? - Scroll to pages 123, 124, 125, 131, 132, 133, 138, & 139. She took so many pictures of this bruise, many of which look like she is in the exact same position, & some of them have that weird lighting/tint to them & some of them don’t. I am not sure if it is the device or what, but I think she genuinely just doesn’t remember & tried to give a recollection of it. She asked for the metadata to be removed, so she could see. At any rate, it doesn’t matter. You can see the bruise in the pictures without the weird lighting & the pictures with the weird lighting (which might be saturation from the phone or the settings she had her camera on). Whatever the case, the bruise is real. There are several pictures of it on different days & several people saw it in person, including a judge. That is not makeup. - I find this supposed point almost as irritating as the poop-in-the-bed. I say almost because at least this has something to do with abuse. I saw both photos, and whether or not the saturation was bumped and why, it clearly shows injury to her face. The rest is moot.

Answer 7

Here are the key points from the write-up: Many pieces of evidence supporting Amber Heard’s abuse claims were excluded from trial, including therapy notes and witness testimony. Thousands of pages of unsealed court documents released after the verdict included corroborative therapy notes detailing long-term abuse. Audio recordings were selectively played by Depp’s team; full transcripts, leaked online, were barred from being used since they weren’t from original files. Texts from Depp’s assistant, Stephen Deuters, confirming Depp kicked Heard on a flight, were excluded due to missing originals. Evidence of Depp’s career decline prior to the op-ed was excluded, including testimony from Depp’s former agent Tracey Jacobs. Deposition from nurse Monroe Tinker indicated medical records were altered to show no injuries, despite texts suggesting an exam occurred. Therapy notes from Drs. Bonnie Jacobs and Amy Banks, documenting years of consistent abuse reports, were excluded as hearsay. Testimony and notes from Amber’s nurse, Erin Falati, confirmed injuries from alleged assaults but were downplayed or ignored. Depp’s psychiatrist Dr. Blaustein’s testimony about Depp’s self-harming was excluded, while claims Amber burned him with cigarettes (she doesn’t smoke) were included. Dr. Laurel Anderson’s testimony that Depp beat Heard was excluded; only claims of mutual abuse were allowed. Debbie Lloyd, Depp’s nurse, claimed memory lapses despite texts confirming she witnessed violence; these texts were also excluded. Makeup artist Melanie Inglessis testified to seeing Heard’s injuries and styling her to cover bruises; much of her testimony was blocked. Amber’s former friend Amanda De Cadenet was a firsthand witness to injuries but withdrew support after private contact with Depp’s legal team. A false rumor claiming Amber caused a friend’s death was traced back to Depp’s legal team deposition questions, despite no evidence. A letter from Heard’s divorce lawyer confirmed she declined over $20 million in potential spousal earnings, contradicting claims she was after Depp’s money. Amber pledged her $7M divorce settlement to charity and was on track with payments until legal costs halted them in 2019. Depp’s team used the delay against her. Therapy notes indicated Heard believed Depp was trying to bankrupt her as retaliation through prolonged litigation.

Answer 8

Here’s a clear and concise summary of the article: Celebrities are distancing themselves from Johnny Depp: Several high-profile figures, including Bella Hadid and Halle Bailey, have reportedly unliked Depp’s Instagram victory post following his win against Amber Heard in the defamation trial. This “Great Unliking” is happening quietly, months after the trial ended. Backlash sparked by unsealed court documents: Over 6,000 pages of previously sealed court documents were released. Ironically, it was Depp supporters who crowdfunded their release, aiming to find more dirt on Heard. Instead, the documents revealed troubling details about Depp and his legal team’s tactics. Allegations against Depp’s team: The unsealed documents claim Depp’s lawyers tried to submit nude photos of Heard and reference her past as a dancer, which critics say was an attempt to shame her—a tactic likened to revenge porn. These efforts were ultimately not allowed in court. Damaging revelations in the documents include: Texts from Depp’s assistant referencing an incident where Depp allegedly kicked Heard. A failed attempt by Depp’s team to implicate Heard in a friend’s unrelated fatal car accident. Depp’s own statement that Heard never caused him physical or mental harm. Claims that Depp’s submitted photos and audio evidence had been manipulated. Disturbing texts between Depp and Marilyn Manson, who himself faces abuse allegations. Wider context: The article suggests the trial’s coverage was skewed by misogyny. Despite Depp’s history—including his loss in a 2020 UK libel case and his violent texts joking about killing Heard—he retained widespread support, while Heard was vilified. The author questions whether the new revelations will meaningfully shift public opinion, concluding that misogyny often overrides facts in the public narrative.

Answer 9

In November 2020, London’s High Court ruled against Johnny Depp in his libel case against The Sun newspaper, which had called him a “wife-beater” in a 2018 article. Depp sued the publisher and executive editor Dan Wootton, arguing the label was defamatory and false. However, the judge, Mr. Justice Nicol, concluded that the article was substantially true, based on evidence of 12 out of 14 alleged incidents of domestic violence against Amber Heard. Legal Reasoning: Under UK defamation law, if a publisher proves that defamatory statements are substantially true, they are protected from libel suits. Though Depp demonstrated reputational harm, the judge ruled in The Sun’s favor because the core allegations were proven on the balance of probabilities—the civil burden of proof. Trial Details: The case, held over 16 days, revealed disturbing personal details, including drug and alcohol abuse, violent outbursts, a severed finger incident, and degrading texts. Depp also faced a more difficult path due to changes in UK defamation law requiring proof of "serious harm" to succeed. Tactical Risks: Depp pursued the case to clear his name and protect his career amid #MeToo-era scrutiny. The Sun risked defending the claim using the truth defense, which required proving the core of the allegations. They succeeded, even though media outlets often settle such cases due to cost and risk. Impact and Consequences: The ruling was a major blow to Depp’s reputation and career, costing him an estimated £5 million in legal fees, plus likely additional costs from The Sun. His team called the decision “perverse” and planned to appeal. The verdict cast a long shadow over his concurrent U.S. defamation case against Heard, which would be tried in Virginia. Here is a summary of the 12 incidents deemed proven: Incident 1: Early 2013 – Los Angeles Summary: Depp slapped Heard multiple times after she made a comment about his "Wino Forever" tattoo. Evidence: Heard's testimony; text messages where Depp apologized for his behavior. Incident 2: March 2013 – Los Angeles Summary: Depp became angry over a painting by Heard's ex-partner, leading to physical violence. Evidence: Heard's account; text messages indicating Depp's jealousy and subsequent apology. Incident 3: June 2013 – Hicksville, California Summary: While under the influence, Depp accused Heard of flirting, grabbed another woman's wrist, and trashed their trailer. Evidence: Testimony from Heard; photographs of the damaged trailer. Incident 4: May 2014 – Private Plane Flight Summary: Depp, intoxicated, kicked Heard during a flight from Boston to Los Angeles. Evidence: Text messages from Depp's assistant, Stephen Deuters, stating, "When I told him he kicked you, he cried." Incident 5: August 2014 – Bahamas Summary: During a detox trip, Depp slapped and kicked Heard, and grabbed her by the hair. Evidence: Heard's testimony; medical notes from Dr. David Kipper documenting Depp's behavior during detox. Incident 6: December 2014 – Los Angeles Summary: Depp was violent towards Heard, though specific details were limited. Evidence: Heard's account; contemporaneous text messages discussing the incident. Incident 7: January 2015 – Tokyo Summary: Depp slapped Heard, pulled her hair, and pushed her to the floor in a hotel room. Evidence: Heard's testimony; photographs of injuries; hotel staff statements. Incident 8: March 2015 – Australia Summary: A three-day ordeal where Depp assaulted Heard, resulting in multiple injuries; he also severed his fingertip and wrote messages in blood. Evidence: Photographs of injuries and the vandalized property; medical records; text messages; audio recordings. Incident 9: March 2015 – Los Angeles Summary: Depp attacked Heard, and when her sister intervened, he attempted to hit her, leading Heard to strike Depp. Evidence: Testimony from Heard and her sister; audio recordings of the incident. Incident 10: August 2015 – Southeast Asia Summary: During a train trip, Depp pushed and choked Heard. Evidence: Heard's testimony; photographs of bruises; statements from travel companions. Incident 11: November 2015 – Los Angeles Summary: Depp threw a decanter at Heard, slapped her, and dragged her by the hair. Evidence: Heard's account; photographs of injuries; text messages discussing the incident. Incident 12: December 2015 – Los Angeles Summary: Depp headbutted Heard, dragged her by the hair, and threatened to kill her. Evidence: Heard's testimony; photographs of injuries; medical records; statements from friends who saw her injuries.

Answer 10

Here’s a summary of the article: Legal experts expected Johnny Depp to have a harder time winning in the U.S. than he did in the U.K. due to America's strong free speech protections. Despite this, a U.S. jury ruled in his favor, suggesting they did not believe Amber Heard’s claims of abuse. In contrast, Depp lost the U.K. libel trial against The Sun, where the case was decided by a judge, not a jury. Experts believe that was a major factor in the different outcomes. Media lawyer Mark Stephens attributed Depp’s U.S. victory partly to a defense strategy known as DARVO – “Deny, Attack, Reverse Victim and Offender.” This tactic shifts focus from whether abuse happened to questioning the credibility of the alleged victim, portraying them as the aggressor. The U.K. judge recognized and dismissed much of the DARVO-style evidence as irrelevant to the abuse claims, but Stephens noted that this strategy is often more persuasive with juries, even female jurors. Public perception also played a significant role. The televised U.S. trial became a media spectacle, with widespread online support for Depp. The hashtag #justiceforjohnnydepp reached 19 billion views on TikTok. Journalist Hadley Freeman called the public backlash against Heard a form of #MeToo backlash, saying the “believe women” movement felt very distant in the context of how Heard was treated. Despite jury instructions, the jurors weren’t sequestered and were allowed to keep their phones, raising concerns about their exposure to public sentiment.

Answer 11

Overview of the Verdict: On November 2, 2020, Johnny Depp lost his libel case against The Sun newspaper in the UK, which had labeled him a "wife-beater." Justice Andrew Nicol ruled that The Sun’s claims were “substantially true,” concluding that Depp abused Amber Heard on at least 12 of 14 alleged occasions. The judge found that Heard frequently feared for her life, including during a “three-day hostage situation” in Australia in 2015. Impact of the Ruling: The decision was hailed by domestic abuse campaigners as a win for victims. Depp’s legal team called the ruling “perverse” and “bewildering,” and signaled intentions to appeal. The ruling significantly damaged Depp’s reputation, possibly impacting his career and leading to millions in legal costs. The Sun praised the verdict as a “stunning victory for press freedom.” Key Details from the Trial: Heard claimed Depp became violent during drug- and alcohol-fueled rages, turning into what he called “The Monster.” The abuse reportedly involved slapping, hair-pulling, hitting, and throwing bottles. Heard said she did not benefit from speaking out and asked: “What woman has ever benefited from being a victim of domestic violence?” Depp admitted to drug problems but denied ever being violent to Heard. Testimonies from former partners Winona Ryder and Vanessa Paradis supported Depp’s character, but the judge still ruled against him. Legal Implications and Reactions: The case set a precedent, especially since UK libel laws typically favor plaintiffs. Legal experts noted the contrast between the UK judge’s ruling and the US jury trial, suggesting Depp had a harder path forward in his $50 million defamation suit in Virginia over Heard’s Washington Post op-ed. Heard’s US attorney promised to present even more evidence in the upcoming American trial. Statements and Broader Reaction: Refuge, a UK domestic violence charity, said the ruling sends a powerful message supporting abuse survivors. Dan Wootton of The Sun thanked Heard and said the ruling was for “all other victims of domestic abuse.” Legal expert Mark Stephens described the verdict as “absolutely devastating” for Depp, warning that his chances in the US were now greatly reduced unless he accepted the judgment and sought rehabilitation. ------------------- ✅ Evidence Presented at the U.S. Trial (New or Expanded): 1. Heard’s Washington Post Op-Ed The entire defamation suit centered on this 2018 op-ed in which Heard described herself as “a public figure representing domestic abuse.” Depp’s team argued this clearly implied he was the abuser and that it damaged his reputation and career. 2. New Audio Recordings Several private conversations between Heard and Depp were played, including: Heard: “I did not punch you, I was hitting you… I can’t promise I won’t get physical again.” These recordings were not part of the UK trial in full. 3. Heard’s Alleged Abuse of Depp Depp's team argued Heard was the abuser, and introduced testimonies and recordings of her allegedly admitting to hitting Depp. Depp himself testified over multiple days, describing multiple instances where he claimed Heard physically and emotionally abused him. 4. Testimonies from New Witnesses Witnesses not called in the UK trial were brought in, including: Depp’s bodyguards His former house manager Ben King Clinical psychologist Dr. Shannon Curry, who diagnosed Heard with borderline and histrionic personality disorders. 5. Text Messages and Emails Some text messages that were excluded in the UK were allowed in Virginia, including disturbing messages Depp sent to Paul Bettany: “Let’s burn Amber… then I will f*** her burnt corpse.” 6. Photos of Alleged Injuries Heard submitted dozens of photos to support her abuse claims, though some were challenged as potentially edited or altered. A tech expert for Depp claimed metadata inconsistencies made some photos unreliable. 🚫 Evidence From the UK Trial That Was Excluded in the U.S. Trial: 1. UK Verdict & Findings Heard’s team was not allowed to mention that Depp had lost the UK case, where a judge found 12 out of 14 abuse allegations “substantially true.” 2. Therapist Notes and Medical Records Detailed treatment notes from Heard’s therapists — Dr. Bonnie Jacobs and Dr. Amy Banks — were excluded on hearsay grounds. These notes included repeated reports of physical and sexual abuse by Depp. 3. Stephen Deuters’ Texts Texts from Depp’s assistant admitting Depp kicked Heard on a plane (“When I told him he kicked you, he cried”) were excluded because the original phone data was not produced, despite his acknowledging them in the UK. 4. Alleged Revenge Porn Attempt In unsealed court documents after the trial, it was revealed that Depp’s team had attempted to submit Heard’s nude photos and details of her past as an exotic dancer — which were excluded but criticized publicly as a misogynistic legal tactic. 🟰 Why the Difference Mattered: UK trial: Judge-only, with a narrower legal focus on whether the article’s statement was “substantially true.” U.S. trial: Jury trial, more dramatic and emotional, with broader attacks on character and credibility from both sides. Televised U.S. trial generated a massive social media wave, heavily favoring Depp in public perception — which legal experts said may have influenced the jury.

Answer 12

Johnny Depp and Amber Heard's tumultuous relationship—short in duration but long in legal battles—culminated in a high-profile 2022 defamation trial in Virginia. The case stemmed from a 2018 Washington Post op-ed written by Heard in which she described herself as a survivor of domestic abuse, though she didn’t name Depp directly. Depp sued Heard for $50 million, claiming the article implied he abused her and damaged his career. Heard countersued for $100 million, arguing Depp and his legal team defamed her by calling her accusations a hoax. The couple had married in 2015 but split a year later, when Heard filed for divorce and a restraining order, accusing Depp of abuse. The two settled, releasing a joint statement denying false claims or financial motives, and Heard pledged the $7 million divorce settlement to charity. However, the dispute reignited with Heard’s op-ed, prompting a second round of public and legal conflict. This Virginia trial followed Depp’s loss in a 2020 libel suit in the U.K., where a judge found 12 of 14 abuse claims against him “substantially true.” The U.S. case differed in key ways: it involved a jury rather than a judge, and took place in a state (Virginia) with less robust early protections against defamation lawsuits than California, where both parties lived. Depp’s team argued Heard’s claims cost him roles—most notably in Pirates of the Caribbean—while Heard argued her op-ed was about the societal backlash she faced, not about Depp specifically. The trial drew widespread media attention due to its celebrity witness list, which included Elon Musk, James Franco, and Paul Bettany, and because of the graphic and disturbing evidence expected to be presented, including violent texts between Depp and Bettany. Legal experts noted the case illustrated the risk of public trials: by pursuing litigation, Depp opened the door to intense scrutiny of his personal life, while Heard faced another wave of public backlash for speaking out.

Answer 13

This article argues that neither Johnny Depp nor Amber Heard should have won their defamation claims — despite the jury awarding Depp $15 million (later reduced to $10.35 million) and Heard $2 million in her counterclaim. The author believes the jury got it wrong on both sides, explaining that neither legal case met the full burden of defamation under the law. Depp’s lawsuit centered on three statements in Heard’s 2018 Washington Post op-ed. To win, he needed to prove that each statement was false, defamatory, about him, and made with actual malice. The article argues that at least one statement — the op-ed’s headline — likely shouldn’t have counted at all, since there was no proof Heard wrote it. Even if she had, saying she "spoke up against sexual violence" doesn’t necessarily imply she was a victim or that Depp was her abuser. More critically, the verdict in Depp’s favor means the jury must have concluded that Heard was never abused — not even once — since Heard’s team told jurors that any proven abuse, even a single incident (physical, emotional, or otherwise), would mean she should win. The article suggests there was enough evidence of Depp’s abusive behavior — including aggressive messages and testimony — to reasonably infer at least one instance of abuse. Thus, Depp shouldn’t have won either. As for Heard’s $2 million counterclaim, the jury found one of three statements made by Depp’s lawyer, Adam Waldman, to be defamatory. That statement accused Heard and her friends of staging a fake crime scene and calling 911 as part of a “hoax.” While Waldman made the remarks, Heard had to prove he was acting as Depp’s agent — a tricky legal argument that weakened her case overall. The jury only found one of Waldman’s detailed statements defamatory, likely because it included specific factual claims (e.g., “spilled wine” and “roughed the place up”), which made it easier to prove false. Ultimately, while both sides technically “won” something, Depp came out as the clear victor in the court of public opinion and with the larger monetary award. The author suggests the verdicts were inconsistent with the legal standards and may be vulnerable to appeal — and concludes that the real winners were the lawyers.

Answer 14

🧔‍♂️ Depp’s Defamation Claims Against Heard Depp sued Heard for three statements in her Washington Post 2018 op-ed: 1. The Headline (online version of the op-ed): "Amber Heard: I spoke up against sexual violence — and faced our culture’s wrath. That has to change." Depp's legal team argued this implied he had committed sexual violence. Heard’s team said she didn’t write the headline. Jury found this defamatory. 2. First statement in the body of the op-ed: "Then two years ago, I became a public figure representing domestic abuse, and I felt the full force of our culture’s wrath for women who speak out." Depp argued it implied he was an abuser. Heard’s team said this was a general statement. Jury found this defamatory. 3. Second statement in the body of the op-ed: "I had the rare vantage point of seeing, in real time, how institutions protect men accused of abuse." Depp claimed it pointed to him as the abuser being protected. Jury found this defamatory. ✅ Outcome: Jury sided with Depp on all three counts and awarded him $10.35 million in damages (after Virginia’s punitive cap). 👩‍🦰 Heard’s Defamation Counterclaims Against Depp Heard countersued Depp over three statements made by his attorney Adam Waldman in 2020, published in the Daily Mail: 1. Waldman Statement #1: "Amber Heard and her friends in the media use fake sexual violence allegations as both a sword and shield, depending on their needs... They have selected some of her sexual violence hoax ‘facts’ as the sword, inflicting them on the public and Mr. Depp." Jury: Not defamatory. 2. Waldman Statement #2: "Quite simply this was an ambush, a hoax. They set Mr. Depp up by calling the cops but the first attempt didn’t do the trick… So Amber and her friends spilled a little wine and roughed the place up, got their stories straight, and then placed a second call to 911." Jury: Defamatory. This was the only statement Heard won on. 3. Waldman Statement #3: "[We] have reached the beginning of the end of Ms. Heard’s abuse hoax against Johnny Depp." Jury: Not defamatory. ✅ Outcome: Jury sided with Heard on 1 of 3 counts and awarded her $2 million in damages.

Answer 15

This article offers a sharp, critical perspective on the Johnny Depp v. Amber Heard defamation trial, arguing that the jury’s verdict reflects a miscarriage of justice and a broader backlash against the #MeToo movement and victims of abuse. Here are the key points from the piece: ⚖️ The Verdict and Its Implications The jury found Heard liable for defamation in her 2018 Washington Post op-ed, awarding $15 million to Depp. At the same time, the jury awarded Heard $2 million for one defamatory statement made by Depp’s attorney, Adam Waldman. The article calls the verdict “strange, illogical, and unjust,” arguing it effectively punishes Heard for speaking out about her alleged abuse and sanctions Depp’s behavior. The ruling, according to the author, sends a chilling message to survivors of domestic abuse, warning them that they risk legal and public retaliation if they speak up. 💬 Texts and Misogyny The piece highlights disturbing texts Depp sent to friends, including: “I will fuck her burnt corpse afterwards to make sure she’s dead.” Referring to Heard’s body as a “mushy pointless dangling overused floppy fish market.” These texts, the author argues, reveal deep misogyny and a desire to humiliate and dehumanize Heard — a desire allegedly echoed in the public’s treatment of her. 📺 Media & Public Reaction The trial was televised, which is rare for domestic violence cases, and heavily influenced by pro-Depp social media narratives. The public response was brutal: Heard was mocked, memeified, and discredited across platforms like TikTok and Twitter. Even brands like Duolingo and Milani joined in the online mockery, contributing to the “global humiliation” Depp had promised in texts. Duolingo's Involvement: Duolingo's official TikTok account commented on a video of Heard's testimony, asking, "y’all think amber watches tiktok?" This remark was widely condemned as insensitive, given the serious nature of the allegations discussed in the trial. The comment was subsequently deleted, and the social media manager issued an apology, acknowledging the mistake and expressing a commitment to learning from the incident. Milani Cosmetics' Role: Milani Cosmetics became involved when Heard's legal team presented a Milani color-correcting palette as an example of makeup used to conceal bruises. Milani responded with a TikTok video stating that the specific product was released after the period in question, implying that Heard's claim was false. Critics argued that this public statement undermined a domestic violence survivor's testimony and contributed to the online mockery of Heard. ⚔️ Backlash Against #MeToo The author argues the case has become a symbolic backlash against the #MeToo movement, making Heard the scapegoat for cultural anger at feminism and women speaking out. It suggests that the real defendant in the trial wasn’t just Heard, but all women who have tried to hold abusers accountable. Feminists and legal experts fear this trial may deter other survivors from coming forward, reinforcing the idea that they must be perfect victims to be believed. 📚 The UK Comparison In contrast, a British court ruled against Depp in 2020, finding that he abused Heard on at least 12 occasions and that the “wife beater” label was “substantially true.” Yet, the U.S. jury found Heard defamed Depp by suggesting she was abused — a contradiction that highlights the article’s claim that misogyny outweighed evidence. 🧵 Conclusion The defamation suit is framed as a continuation of Depp’s alleged abuse, now backed by the legal system and public opinion. The article closes by quoting Depp’s 2016 text vowing revenge: “She is begging for global humiliation. She is going to get it.”

Answer 16

In recent weeks, as the defamation trial brought by Johnny Depp against his ex-wife Amber Heard has continued to overshadow nearly all other news stories and dominate the main social-media platforms, I’ve noticed that the normal people in my life—the ones who have not had the Law&Crime Network live stream of the proceedings running on their laptops since it began, in April—are often under the impression that the case is impenetrably complex. They aren’t entirely wrong: Depp-Heard 2022, playing at least through the end of this week in Fairfax, Virginia, is the sludge pit of an outlandishly toxic relationship. But so much of the online chatter about the trial is noise rather than signal; it has obscured how simple the core matter is, and how that simplicity makes the case all the more bizarre and tragic. Depp’s fifty-million-dollar defamation claim against Heard rests on the first part of one sentence, which she published in an op-ed in the Washington Post in December, 2018: “Then two years ago, I became a public figure representing domestic abuse, and I felt the full force of our culture’s wrath for women who speak out.” It is incontestable that, two years earlier, Heard did indeed appear on the cover of People magazine with apparent facial injuries and that, around the same time, she obtained a temporary restraining order alleging domestic violence against her husband; she was photographed leaving the courthouse with what looked like a bruise on her cheek. She also has a trove of text messages, witness statements, and photos of injuries—which, she says, corroborate her allegations of abuse. The careful legal vetting of her Post op-ed may be evident in the wording: Heard calls herself a “public figure representing” abuse, not a victim or survivor of it; she does not name Depp, nor does she specify a type of abuse. (Depp has denied ever hitting or assaulting Heard; she is countersuing him for a hundred million dollars.) As for whether Heard has “felt the full force of our culture’s wrath,” a quick glance at Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter, YouTube, and other platforms, where she is cast as the Medusa of Sunset Boulevard, may settle the question. The precise demographics of the pro-Depp coalition are diverse, if uncertain in their exact proportions: bots, shitposters, men’s-rights activists, women who were in middle school when “Edward Scissorhands” came out. According to Wired, the hashtag #JusticeforJohnnyDepp has surpassed ten billion views on TikTok. Parody videos of Heard’s emotional testimony are already a TikTok cliché. The conservative site the Daily Wire spent tens of thousands of dollars to promote mainly anti-Heard content on Facebook and Instagram about the trial, per a story in Vice World News. (The Daily Wire has not commented on the story.) NBC News has reported on the YouTube creators who pivoted to anti-Heard videos when they realized how much users and the algorithm liked them. But that half-sentence in the Post—that’s the whole case. That’s fifty million dollars. Depp lost a 2020 defamation lawsuit against a British tabloid, the Sun, which was far more brazen in its language—it called Depp a “wife beater”—and, despite the United Kingdom’s strict libel laws and a reversed burden of proof, the High Court in London found the vast majority of Heard’s claims to be “substantially true.” And yet, earlier this month, the presiding judge in the Virginia case, Penney Azcarate, rejectedHeard’s motion to dismiss. Azcarate cited “evidence that jurors could weigh that the statements were about the plaintiff, that the statements were published and that the statement was false, and that the defendant made the statement knowing it to be false or that the defendant made it so recklessly as to amount to willful disregard for the truth.” The evidence that jurors must weigh varies widely in its apparent relevance to Depp’s defamation claim. Just today, the jury and viewers at home were treated to closeup views of Depp’s bloody finger stump, injured in a domestic fracas in Australia. Earlier in the trial, we saw images of the deranged, slut-shaming messages that Depp scrawled in paint or blood using the selfsame freshly injured stump. There are also Depp’s texts sent before he married Heard—in which he calls her a “worthless hooker,” jokes about how he’ll “smack the ugly cunt around,” and, at one point, shares a brainstorm with the actor Paul Bettany: “Let’s drown her before we burn her!!! I will fuck her burnt corpse afterwards to make sure she’s dead.” There’s footage of Depp trashing a kitchen and audio recordings of him telling Heard, “Shut the fuck up. . . . Don’t fucking pretend to be authoritative with me. You don’t exist.” Depp, to review, is the plaintiff in the defamation trial, and the one whom most of social media is rooting for. It should be acknowledged that Heard, at times, has made questionable statements about her relationship with Depp and its aftermath. Both Depp’s legal team and the #JusticeforJohnny and #AmberTurd armies on social media have focussed on flawlessly gorgeous photographs taken of Heard after alleged severe beatings and, especially, on her claim that she appeared on James Corden’s late-night talk show with “two black eyes” and a nose that she suspected was broken. On the other hand, two pieces of evidence that her detractors hold up to allege that it was Heard, in fact, who was abusive—an audio recording in which she admits to hitting him and another in which she mocks any claim he might make of being a victim of domestic violence—both sound uncannily like fragments from a darvo scenario, in which an abuser denies what he is doing at the same time that he deflects and projects his behavior onto the person he is abusing. You don’t have to trust Amber Heard to look at twelve words in a newspaper column and wonder why they serve as an invitation to listen to her sobbing incoherently in an ugly argument with her unmoved spouse, or to read texts in which Depp calls her a “gold digging, low level, dime a dozen, mushy, pointless dangling overused flappy fish market.” You don’t have to like Heard to sympathize with her when one of Depp’s lawyers, Camille Vasquez, who cross-examines all of the defense witnesses in a tone of incredulous contempt, repeatedly confirms with her that she did not seek medical attention after some alleged incidents of violence; or, on redirect, when Heard’s flustered lawyer, Elaine Bredehoft, is unable to formulate questions that would permit Heard to defend herself. (Vasquez has taken fearsome advantage of what appears to be Azcarate’s unusually rigid application of hearsay.) You don’t have to believe everything Heard says to be startled when a Law&Crime guest, the defense attorney Lara Yeretsian, wonders aloud, after hours of Heard’s testimony, why she stayed with her alleged abuser—a question so exhaustively asked and answered over decades of work by domestic-violence advocates that it inspired an activists’ hashtag eight years ago. “It’s a question that I’m sure a lot of people are asking today,” Yeretsian said. The longer the trial slogs on, and the more that various third parties profit from it, the more difficult it is to fathom Depp’s motivations for instigating it. He and his supporters say he filed the suit to clear his name, but it has put more terrible behavior of his on the record than any scrubbed and ghostwritten op-ed could do. In fact, if you spend enough time inhaling the sulfurous fumes of the Depp-Heard live stream, what it starts to resemble most is a high-budget, general-admission form of revenge porn, an act in which the person with the upper hand in a relationship forces the other to be complicit in the sharing and dissemination of raw, vulnerable, literally sensational moments for the delectation of an unseen audience. One of the hallmarks of revenge porn is the way it freezes its victim in time, a plight that Heard summoned at the end of her direct examination. “I want to move on with my life,” she said. “I want to move on, I want to move on, I want Johnny to move on, too. I want him to leave me alone.” But the consequences of his legal action against her will never leave her alone. This is who she is now—the victim of an unprecedented Internet pile-on, a bruised face on an iPhone, a woman who makes people laugh when she cries. Johnny Depp cannot be frozen in time in the same way. He has been a household name since Amber Heard was a toddler, and, though it can be difficult to remember now, he was once the most wondrously idiosyncratic brand of megastar: he worked with auteurs, made weird European art-house films, took chances, loaned his clout around, deployed his looks and his sexual magnetism to mess with gender norms. When he accepted a role in a film based on a theme-park ride and played it slant, it counted in Hollywood terms as a subversive act; it made him the biggest movie star in the world and one of the highest-paid, and within a few years he stopped being interesting. As the prow of a five-film Disney blockbuster franchise, he will never be cast out of the citadel of extreme fame and wealth. The Fairfax trial affords many glances inside this extravagant yet bleak fortress: the insulating layers of handlers and yes-men; the huge, empty homes loaned out to hangers-on; the noxious mix of paranoia, dependence, and impunity bred by ultra-celebrity; the disorienting suspicion that everything is permitted and nothing necessarily has to be true. That’s the magic of movies, perhaps. When Heard obtained the temporary restraining order against Depp, she stated, “His relationship with reality oscillates.” Under direct examination in the Fairfax trial, Heard offered context for a recording of a telephone conversation with Depp from shortly after she filed for divorce, in 2016, in which she tried to persuade him to agree to a mutual gag order, owing to the ample evidence that she had against him. This recording is extraordinary, and so is what Heard said on the stand about it. “I was begging Johnny to not make me prove what I’ve had to sit on the stand in front of all of you and prove,” she said. “I was begging not to do this, not to sit where I’m sitting today. I didn’t want this. I don’t want to be here. I didn’t want to be there then. And I was trying to point out something to somebody who I thought did not have a firm grasp on reality.” In a sense, though, Depp may be permanently excused from reality. This may help to explain why he wanted this trial, why he got it, and why, against all odds, he has a decent chance of winning it. In another, more disturbing sense—whether in the adoring throngs of his fans outside the courthouse each morning or the inescapable #AmberHeardIsALiar memes on every platform—Depp’s reality has been made our own. “She’s begging for total global humiliation... She’s gonna get it,” he said in a text from 2016. It might have seemed grandiose at the time.

Answer 17

This article offers a detailed retrospective of the key moments from the widely publicized 2022 defamation trial between Johnny Depp and Amber Heard. Depp sued Heard for $50 million over a Washington Post op-ed in which she claimed to be a survivor of domestic abuse—though she did not name him. Heard countersued for $100 million. The jury ultimately awarded Depp $15 million (later reduced due to legal caps) and awarded Heard $2 million for one of her counterclaims. Some of the most notable moments from the trial include: "Mutual abuse": Their former marriage counselor, Dr. Laurel Anderson, testified that the couple engaged in “mutual abuse,” often instigated by Heard, who saw it as a point of pride to start fights when she felt disrespected. Violent and misogynistic messages: Depp was confronted with graphic texts to actor Paul Bettany in which he joked about burning and sexually violating Heard’s corpse. He said the messages were irreverent humor referencing Monty Python. Mental health debates: Depp’s expert, Dr. Shannon Curry, diagnosed Heard with borderline and histrionic personality disorders, while Heard’s expert, Dr. Dawn Hughes, concluded she had PTSD due to intimate partner violence from Depp. Substance abuse: Heard described Depp’s ongoing alcohol and drug abuse, including public incidents. Depp claimed he was mostly sober and argued Heard exaggerated his behavior, while his team highlighted her own drug use. “The Monster”: Heard used this term for Depp’s allegedly violent alter ego when intoxicated. Depp said he only used the phrase to appease her. Depp's denial of abuse: Depp repeatedly insisted he never struck Heard and instead claimed she was the aggressor. Audio recordings played in court captured Heard admitting to hitting Depp and mocking him. Australia trip incident: During a 2015 fight, Depp claimed Heard threw a vodka bottle at him, severing his fingertip. Heard denied this and alleged Depp sexually assaulted her. A medical expert challenged Depp’s account based on his nail being intact. Camille Vasquez’s breakout moment: Depp’s lawyer, Vasquez, became a social media sensation during the trial for her sharp cross-examination of Heard and direct courtroom presence. Kate Moss testifies: The supermodel refuted a rumor Heard mentioned about Depp pushing her down stairs, saying he never assaulted her and helped her when she fell accidentally. (The "Kate Moss stairs" incident became a focal point during Johnny Depp's defamation trial against Amber Heard. Heard testified that during a 2015 altercation, she struck Depp to protect her sister, Whitney, who was near a staircase. Heard claimed she was reminded of a rumor that Depp had pushed Moss down the stairs in the 1990s. In response, Depp's legal team called Moss to testify. Appearing via video, Moss refuted the rumor, stating that during a vacation in Jamaica, she slipped down wet stairs and injured her back. Depp, she said, came to her aid and ensured she received medical attention. Moss emphasized that Depp "never pushed me, kicked me or threw me down any stairs" . Regarding the origin of the rumor, there is no public record of such an allegation before Heard's mention during Depp's 2020 libel case in the UK. Heard stated she had heard the rumor from two people, but no specific sources or publications have been identified to substantiate this claim . Moss later explained her decision to testify, stating, "I know the truth about Johnny. I know he never kicked me down the stairs. I had to say that truth"). Heard's closing testimony: Heard spoke emotionally about the impact of the trial and ongoing harassment, stating she receives daily death threats and has lost her career due to the public backlash. The trial not only captivated global attention but also sparked intense online discourse, with social media playing a major role in shaping public perception—largely in Depp’s favor.

Answer 18

Depp on Op-ed: Called it "heinous," said: "I never struck Ms. Heard." Dr. David Kipper: Treated Depp's finger. Said Depp told ER he cut it himself. Didn’t observe abuse from either party. Kate James (Heard’s former assistant): Claimed Heard was verbally abusive, once spat in her face. Isaac Baruch (Depp’s friend): Saw no injuries. Said Heard and her sister faked a punch on security footage. Opening Statements: Rottenborn: "You’re going to see who the real Johnny Depp is." Chew: "Today, Johnny Depp’s name is associated with a lie." Vasquez: "She can’t back down... the performance of a lifetime."

Answer 19

🎥 Docuseries Overview The Netflix docuseries Depp v. Heard covers the widely followed 2022 defamation trial between actors Johnny Depp and Amber Heard. The trial occurred in Fairfax County, Virginia, and gained massive public and media attention, with the internet polarizing into “Team Johnny” vs. “Team Amber.” Depp sued Heard for $50 million over her 2018 Washington Post op-ed, while Heard countersued for $100 million. ⚖️ Trial Outcome Depp won the case. The jury awarded him $10 million in compensatory damages and $5 million in punitive damages (later reduced to $350,000 due to Virginia’s cap). Heard also won part of her counterclaim. The jury found Depp’s former lawyer defamed her, awarding her $2 million in compensatory damages, but no punitive damages. 📍 Why the Trial Took Place in Virginia Although neither Depp nor Heard lived in Virginia, Depp filed the suit there because: The online servers of The Washington Post — which published Heard’s op-ed — were located in Fairfax County. Virginia’s anti-SLAPP laws (which protect free speech from retaliatory lawsuits) are relatively weak. This made it strategically easier for Depp to sue and succeed. 🧾 What Are SLAPP Laws? SLAPP stands for: Strategic Lawsuit Against Public Participation A SLAPP lawsuit is typically a legal tactic used to silence or intimidate someone for exercising their First Amendment rights — like free speech, petitioning the government, or speaking out on public matters. These lawsuits aren’t necessarily meant to win in court, but rather to: Drain the defendant’s time and money, Discourage them (and others) from speaking out, Scare them into settling or backing down. 🛡️ What Are Anti-SLAPP Laws? Anti-SLAPP laws are designed to protect people from these abusive lawsuits. They: Allow defendants to quickly dismiss a case if it’s found to be a SLAPP, Shift legal fees to the plaintiff (the one who filed the SLAPP), Prevent powerful individuals from using the courts to bully critics or whistleblowers. Some states (like California and New York) have strong anti-SLAPP laws. Others, like Virginia, have weaker protections. 🏛️ How This Relates to Depp v. Heard Johnny Depp sued Amber Heard in Virginia, even though neither lived there. Why? The Washington Post’s servers — where Heard’s op-ed was published online — are based in Fairfax County, Virginia, giving him a legal reason to file there. More importantly: Virginia has relatively weak anti-SLAPP laws. This made it harder for Heard to get the case dismissed early by arguing it was a protected exercise of free speech. In states with strong anti-SLAPP laws, she could have filed a motion to strike the case and possibly won quickly on First Amendment grounds. By choosing Virginia, Depp’s legal team likely hoped to: Avoid an early dismissal, and Increase the chance the case would go to trial, where Depp could tell his side publicly and try to restore his reputation. 🧠 Summary: SLAPP = lawsuits meant to intimidate or punish free speech. Anti-SLAPP laws = legal protection against those suits. Virginia’s weak anti-SLAPP laws may have helped Depp bring the case to trial, making it a strategic venue choice.

Answer 20

The article examines the controversial decision by Judge Penney Azcarate, who presided over the Johnny Depp v. Amber Heard defamation trial, to allow live television coverage of the courtroom proceedings. Azcarate, chief judge of Fairfax County, Virginia, permitted Court TV to operate two pool cameras, a move that turned the trial into a viral media sensation. The livestreams drew millions of viewers and created a cultural frenzy, particularly as clips of testimony and reactions spread across platforms like TikTok and YouTube. While Depp’s legal team welcomed the cameras, framing them as a way to promote transparency, Heard’s attorneys opposed the move, arguing that the coverage would subject her to relentless public shaming and out-of-context ridicule. Legal experts and victim advocates expressed concern over the decision’s broader consequences. Michele Dauber, a Stanford Law professor, called the televised trial “the single worst decision” in recent history regarding intimate partner violence cases, warning it could deter survivors from coming forward. Michelle Simpson Tuegel, an attorney for sexual assault victims, echoed those concerns, noting that the livestream amplified the emotional toll on victims and could scare others from seeking justice. While Virginia law gives judges wide discretion over allowing cameras, the statute restricts them in sexual offense cases involving victims — a clause Azcarate ruled didn't apply to this civil trial. Legal figures noted that cameras are rarely used in Virginia courts, making this case a stark outlier. Some, like attorney Rhonda Quagliana, acknowledged the potential benefits of courtroom transparency in certain high-profile cases (such as Derek Chauvin’s trial), but emphasized the difficulty in balancing fairness, public interest, and potential harm to witnesses and victims.

Answer 21

The article critiques the legal and cultural aftermath of the Depp v. Heard trial, arguing that it set a dangerous precedent for how survivors of abuse are treated both in court and public discourse. Experts on sexual violence and domestic abuse, such as sociologist Nicole Bedera and legal advocates Teresa Drake and Christine Scartz, warn that the case has become a blueprint for abusers to weaponize defamation lawsuits as tools of power and control. These lawsuits not only entangle survivors in lengthy, expensive legal battles, but also silence them by shifting public sympathy toward the accused—especially when they are wealthy, charismatic, and culturally beloved. Although Heard never named Depp in her op-ed, she was effectively punished for speaking out, and her vilification on social media and in the press has fueled fears that other survivors will now remain silent to avoid similar retaliation. The author reflects on the societal obsession with the “perfect victim” narrative—one who is calm, blameless, and unblemished—and how Heard’s failure to fit that mold made her an easy target for public scorn. Concepts like DARVO (Deny, Attack, Reverse Victim and Offender) are highlighted to explain how Depp’s team allegedly manipulated public perception, casting him as the victim and Heard as the abuser. The trial, heavily publicized and livestreamed, allowed misogynistic tropes and victim-blaming to flourish, reinforcing the idea that abuse allegations from imperfect or unpopular women are not to be believed. Ultimately, the piece challenges readers to ask whether society is truly ready to believe survivors like Heard—and to consider the lasting damage when the answer is “no.”

Answer 22

Last week, Amber Heard took the stand in her ongoing defamation trial. Testifying about her marriage to Johnny Depp, she detailed years of alleged abuse in graphic detail. “He said, ‘I’ll fucking kill you,’” Heard recalled of one fight, which she says ended with Depp pinning her down on a countertop and penetrating her repeatedly with a liquor bottle. As Heard sobbed on the stand, the mood in the courtroom darkened. Even Depp looked grim as he lifted his eyes from his notepad to watch her. His fans were unmoved. “Drama queen,” “Crocodile tears let’s goooo,” viewers on one popular YouTube court stream commented in a live chat. “She loves to talk about herself doesn’t she,” “WOW She’s one piece of work,” “WE DONT CARE,” “what an actress.” Shortly after court adjourned for the day, a clip of Heard wiping her nose with a tissue started circulating on social media; Depp stans speculated she was probably doing a covert bump of coke in front of the jury. Over the past four weeks, Heard and Depp have presented a harrowing picture of their brief yet turbulent marriage. Testimony on both sides has been painful and exacting: Heard’s attorneys hammered Depp for hours on his substance use, while his witnesses made dubious claims about Heard’s supposed “histrionic personality disorder.” Her team has displayed photos of her bruised face, busted lip, and clumps of her hair on the floor of the couple’s wrecked bedroom. Depp has admitted to painting threatening messages on their walls in his own blood, while text messages show him apologizing for “spraying rage” at her in a blackout as well as saying he hoped Heard’s “rotting corpse was decomposing in the fucking trunk of a Honda Civic.” No matter how damning the evidence may look in court, social media tells a different story: Instagram and TikTok are full of memes casting Depp as the victim and Heard as the abuser, intent on making a money grab that will tank her ex’s career. Nearly five years after exposés on Harvey Weinstein’s serial predation laid bare the ways powerful men leverage their influence to cover up misconduct, Depp v. Heard feels like a jarring regression. Here is a woman recounting, in agonizing detail, how an extremely famous man allegedly abused her. Why, in 2022, do so many people seem to hate her for it? The case centers on Heard’s 2018 Washington Post op-ed, in which she identified herself as “a public figure representing domestic abuse” but never mentioned Depp by name. At the time, Depp was waging a legal battle with the U.K. Sun for calling him a “wife beater,” a lawsuit he would go on to lose. Nonetheless, Depp hit Heard with a $50 million defamation suit, arguing that her “demonstrably false” claims “brought new damage” to his sinking reputation and career. After a judge denied Heard’s request to dismiss the op-ed case, she countersued for $100 million. Their new trial opened last month, and every minute has been televised. Each morning when court convenes, hundreds of thousands of viewers cue up livestreams running on the Law&Crime Network and Court TV YouTube channels. Throngs of Depp’s supporters gather outside the Fairfax County Courthouse, and when proceedings wrap, they rush his car and cram gifts through the open window. His celebrity creates an aura of palpable excitement: “Captain Jack Sparrow in the courtroom today,” one CourtTV presenter effused during Depp’s testimony. “Who doesn’t love Captain Jack Sparrow?” Popcorn emoji spring up in the chat bars affixed to the YouTube streams, which reliably devolve into unmitigated vitriol. “Millions of women would kill to have Johnny.” “She’s just a goldigging Me Too activist who saw an opportunity to further her career and destroy a hollywood icon at the same time.” Anti-Heard sentiment quickly spread beyond the comments section, spawning a whole taxonomy of memes valorizing Depp. Photos of him in the witness box are inscribed with his inspirational quotes (“Johnny Depp once said, People cry not because they are weak but because they have been strong for far too long. Everyone has a breaking point.”) My Instagram “Explore” page is suddenly sprinkled with photos of Depp in his prime: much younger versions of the actor kissing Winona Ryder and Kate Moss or holding a toddler-age Lily-Rose Depp in sepia. When Heard’s face pops up, it’s alongside captions like, “You can see the moment she remembers she was supposed to be sad.” After Depp alleged that Heard defecated in their bed when he left her, “Amber Turd” and “#MePoo” trended on Twitter for days. (According to Depp, she blamed the incident on the couples’ dogs.) For her part, Heard never claimed to have behaved perfectly in their relationship. In recordings played in court, she appears to occasionally taunt and belittle Depp: “Tell the world, Johnny,” she told him in 2016. “Tell them, ‘I, Johnny Depp, a man, a victim, too, of domestic violence.’” On the stand, Heard admitted to screaming at Depp, to calling him “ugly names” and hitting him. Depp’s fans point to her 2009 arrest, which followed an argument she had with ex-girlfriend Tasya van Ree, to suggest Heard has a history of brutalizing her partners; van Ree, meanwhile, has already stated that police “misrepresented” the incident to “wrongfully” accuse Heard. (One person the court hasn’t heard from: Ellen Barkin, who said in a deposition that Depp once threw a wine bottle at her when the pair briefly dated. In his U.K. trial, Depp said Barkin was motivated by a “grudge” because he didn’t return her feelings.) Witnesses for Depp have described Heard as demanding and volatile, and a marriage counselor who worked with the couple testified that they engaged in “mutual abuse.” That isn’t a term domestic-violence experts like to use because it ignores the unequal power and bullying inherent in intimate-partner violence. “Self-defense” is more accurate, and in her testimony, Heard outlined a cycle in which Depp’s jealousies, inflamed by alleged lapses in his sobriety, sparked explosive arguments. She said he tried to dissuade her from taking acting jobs, assuring her, “You don’t have to work, kid; I’ll take care of you,” and criticized her for considering roles that required sex scenes and kissing. Eventually, she said he even got wardrobe approval. In Heard’s telling, Depp’s substance dependence split him into two people: a caring and generous partner when he was sober and a violent, irrational “monster” when he was not. “I would try to stand up for myself,” she told the court. “By December 2014, I would push back.” When Depp fans accuse Heard of exploiting the actor’s wealth and status, they implicitly acknowledge a power imbalance. Both are actors, but one of them is more accomplished, more lauded, more influential. One of them has been nominated for three Academy Awards. One of them is a household name, while the other is most famous in the context of this legal battle. Depp’s fans also have a disturbing ability to take the evidence Heard presents and flip it against her. A video of a drunken rampage — footage in which Depp smashes glasses and empties a bottle of wine — becomes proof of Heard’s capacity for manipulation. They question her motives: Why was she recording him in the first place? Then there are the text messages Depp sent his friend the actor Paul Bettany in 2013, musing about drowning Heard and setting her body on fire. In the Court TV live chat, one observer granted that the texts did look bad, but: “She did marry him still.” If victim-blaming is frowned upon these days, you wouldn’t know it from looking at the way people talk about Heard online. Even the makeup company Milani Cosmetics got in on the action, posting a TikTok debunking a claim made in opening statements that Heard relied on concealer kits like theirs to cover her bruises. “The thing is,” Ireland Baldwin wrote on Instagram, “I know women who are exactly like this. They are manipulative and cold and they use their very womanhood to play victim and turn the world against the man because we live in a society where it’s cool to say men are all the worst and blah blah fuckity blah.” False allegations of domestic violence are exceedingly rare. Taking this trial as an example, you can see why: The legal process dredges up relentless grief, and it certainly isn’t weighted toward survivors. If you fight back, you are often framed as complicit in the abuse. Yet the idea that women make up damning stories to entrap innocent men refuses to die. Attorneys for Weinstein cast his accusers as liars motivated by fame and money. Bill Cosby has repeatedly claimed the same. Woody Allen has characterized his daughter’s molestation allegations as a bid by his vengeful ex to destroy his career. In the past few years, it finally seemed as though the public was beginning to believe the victims. But by all appearances, Depp continues to enjoy the benefit of the doubt even as he reads back the texts in which he referred to Heard as a “slippery whore.” Depp’s central complaint in this case holds that Heard’s op-ed left his reputation in tatters, a claim at odds with the swarms of fans rallying around him in court and online. While his career has been on a downward spiral for a while now, Heard’s attorneys have pointed out that the bad press — accusing Depp of getting drunk on set and highlighting a string of expensive box-office flops for which he earned a huge salary — began years before Heard filed for divorce. Depp denies having addictions to drugs and alcohol, and still his hard-partying reputation precedes him. He apparently has a temper. He has been accused of punching a crew member on a film set unprovoked. He has become aggressively litigious. For certain industry executives, Depp’s U.K. libel suit put the final nail in the professional coffin he built himself. On my Instagram “Explore” page, nostalgia for a particular version of this man — unreasonably hot, widely respected as one of the most talented actors in Hollywood — appears to have eclipsed reality. Yet the fervor of his fans confirms at least some of what Heard is saying: Depp is so famous, so beloved, he could get away with almost anything. “No one told him” about his alleged substance abuse and behavior issues, Heard said on the stand. “This man lost control of his bowels, and I would clean up after him … Then he’d walk around thinking he didn’t have a problem.” At his Virginia trial, attorneys spend hours picking apart his vicious texts, vindictive emails, and grueling testimony. Then he gets up, opens the courthouse doors, and the crowd still goes wild. In her op-ed, Heard wrote that, after divorcing Depp, she “felt the full force of our culture’s wrath for women who speak out.” As this trial makes clear, she wasn’t lying about that. Even after so many women have come forward with accounts of abuse in recent years, the Heard trial is a sobering reminder that a victim’s credibility is still a fragile thing. It doesn’t matter what you say when no one is willing to hear it. I think about survivors following the trial from home: If this is the response a person can expect from airing their claims in court, why speak up at all?

Answer 23

Everyone called this celebrity a slut. She was trashy, a cheater, a liar, and crazy. Her most private and difficult moments were treated as a farce for public amusement, subject to memes and shaming. Making fun of her was fun; mocking her became a national pastime. I’m talking about Britney Spears, but I could also be talking about Amber Heard. Heard’s ex-husband, Johnny Depp, filed a defamation lawsuit against her for a 2018 Washington Post op-ed, and the trial has become a national obsession. All the same insults that people once used against Spears have been flung Heard’s way. She’s a liar, a slut, and crazy. Her displays of emotion have been mocked, and her testimony about the alleged abuse she suffered during her marriage to Depp has been turned into viral memes on TikTok, Twitter, and Instagram. But there’s a difference. In our current moment, the public consensus is that Spears was wronged. After the hugely popular 2021 documentary Framing Britney Spears detailed the tabloid media’s coverage of the pop star and her allegedly abusive conservatorship, people in seemingly every corner of the globe began to decry the narrative that had been constructed around her for so long. Journalists published somber piece after piece, framing the reexamination of Spears’ treatment as a moment of reckoning for the media, and American society as a whole. It prompted plenty of self-reflection and debate: How could we have treated a vulnerable woman so cruelly? That would never happen today — we know much better now. Clearly, we don’t. The online harassment of Heard and skepticism (not to mention flat-out conspiracy theories) about her motives show that maybe we have learned nothing at all. Indeed, it seems that only the medium has changed. In 2007, readers looked to tabloids for evidence of Spears’ troubles, and now people laugh at Amber Heard's court photos set to a zany soundtrack on TikTok and create stan accounts for Depp and hate accounts for Heardon Twitter. Paparazzi made bank in the 2000s by stalking women celebrities and sticking cameras up their skirts; now content creators are pivoting to covering the trial on social media in hopes of striking gold. No groundswell of support for Heard has materialized in response; according to NBC News, an analysis of 2,300 Twitter profiles surrounding the trial showed that 93% of those users were supportive of Depp. The contrast might well produce cognitive dissonance. After all, the narrative about Spears changed as part of a larger trend in modern media: reexamining the scorned women of the past in countless articles, podcasts, and documentaries. In an article for Gawker last year, journalist R.E. Hawley described the trend as “the cultural revisionism industry,” explaining it as media intent on “debunking false conceptions of the semi-recent past and meditating on the cultural factors which contributed to their initial spread.” The harbinger of the trend, the popular podcast You’re Wrong About, has devoted several episodes to other once-mocked women who instead deserved some sympathy: Anna Nicole Smith, Tonya Harding, Lorena Bobbitt, and Monica Lewinsky. Some of these women, such as Lewinsky, have also received a redemption arc through television or film. These sorts of cultural reckonings have done a lot of good. After Spears’ case came back into the spotlight, public sympathy for her skyrocketed, and she eventually won the right to exit her conservatorship of more than a decade. Lewinsky has also been able to reenter the public eye to tell her own story and wrestle back control of her narrative, on her own terms. And the lessons that the You’re Wrong About podcast and other revisionist narratives are intent on teaching the public are ones that need to be heard: that many of these women were treated unfairly, and our attitudes toward the casual and cruel misogyny they endured desperately needed to change. Like these women, Heard is not what some people would consider a sympathetic victim. For example, she has admitted to not fulfilling her promise to donate a portion of her divorce settlement to charity (she told the court that was “because Johnny sued me for $50 million in March of 2019”) and has been recorded saying she had hit Depp during their marriage. (Heard has argued that this was in self-defense, and most experts caution against using terms like “mutual abuse” to describe partner violence where one party fights back.) Much has been made of a bizarre incident described in court by a former member of Depp’s security team, where Heard allegedly defecated in Depp’s bed and blamed it on their dogs (Heard denied the allegations again in court testimony), and Heard has fought back in court this week against allegations that she had cheated on Depp with James Franco, who she insisted was just a friend. As Refinery 29 reported, Heard has been accused online of not acting like a “real victim.” All of this is not only damaging to Heard’s public reputation, an expert told the publication, but also to all victims of domestic violence who don’t fit into the narrative of what people believe they should look like. "All of this concerns me because it perpetuates the myth of the 'perfect' victim and requires Heard to fit into a lot of — often conflicting — public expectations of how she should behave in order to be believed," Lucia Osborne-Crowley, a journalist and author who has written two books on trauma, said. "But these expectations shouldn’t feed into whether her allegations are proven to be true in a court of law — the evidence should do that." Just like tabloid writers and photographers who used Spears’ pain to advance their own careers, content creators have been using the daily updates from the Depp versus Heard trial as a way to go viral and get engagement. Besides the mocking TikTok audio pulled from Heard’s court testimony, influencers are posting commentary and analysis, polls asking who their followers believe the most, and more. Media organizations have long profited from their wall-to-wall coverage of these maligned women, selling papers and magazines and dissecting their misdeeds on television. They are now also finding success by giving these women a redemption arc, in Oscar-nominated movies and documentaries reexamining their trauma and the mistreatment heaped on them by the public. These projects are getting greenlit every day, as Hollywood cashes in on the nostalgia of the ’90s and aughts. Only when looking into the past can these women be forgiven, but only as long as we sufficiently rake them through the coals first. Perhaps in a few years, a streaming service will put out a documentary about how Heard was mistreated, using the negative TikTok videos as horrifying archival footage intercut between interviews with experts about how damaging social media is. Some up-and-coming actor will get an Academy Award nomination for her haunting portrayal of Heard’s testimony on the stand. And we will all look back on the reaction to Heard with disgust, saying, “That would never have happened today.” Heard’s trial is not a piece of entertainment, staged for our amusement — and yet, that’s what it’s become online. The principles of fairness we’re supposed to have internalized after rethinking how women of the ’90s and ’00s were treated have not necessarily reached everyone for Heard’s present-tense story. And while the cultural revisionism industry is trying to teach us lessons, not everyone is putting them into practice. As Sarah Marshall, the host of the You’re Wrong About podcast, tweeted this week, the point of the content she produces is so we don’t have to have a reexamination of these women later on, but instead learn and treat them better now. We could hold our judgment and look at the facts. We could treat the allegations being thrown around in the trial as serious, and not simply a spectacle to entertain us or to turn into a meme.

Answer 24

🔥 Early History of Violence and Arrests 1980s–1990s: 1989: Arrested for assaulting a hotel security guard and damaging property; pled guilty. 1989: Began dating 17-year-old Winona Ryder at age 26; reportedly violent, tried to marry her. 1994: Destroyed a hotel room during a fight with then-girlfriend Kate Moss; arrested; paid $10K in damages. 1999: Arrested for threatening a photographer with a wooden plank. Allegations of Control in Relationships: Ellen Barkin testified Depp was controlling, verbally abusive, and once threw a wine bottle at her. Kate Moss reportedly feared Depp's moods and volatility. Jennifer Grey described Depp as “crazy, jealous, and paranoid.” Vanessa Paradis stated Depp was impulsive, violent during tantrums, and paid her $150M post-breakup. 📂 Legal Suits & Professional Misconduct 2012: Sued by Robyn Ecker, a disabled woman, for being assaulted by Depp’s security at his direction. 2018: Sued by Gregg Brooks, a location manager, for being punched by Depp on set (Depp later confirmed). Sued by his own bodyguards for forced overtime and protecting Depp from “himself and his vices.” Documentary revealed Depp attempted to urinate on director Oliver Stone for “revenge” on Platoon set. Tracy Jacobs (former agent of 30 years) testified Depp was angry, unprofessional, and difficult on set. Amber’s lawyer (from during their marriage) testified Depp insulted and verbally abused her over the phone. 🩸 Incidents Involving Amber Heard Finger Incident in Australia: Depp injured his own finger, admitted in texts and audios. Used blood and paint to write messages on mirrors and walls. House described as “completely destroyed” by Heard’s legal team. Text Messages & Audio Evidence: 2013: Texted Paul Bettany about burning and raping Heard’s corpse. Told Heard to write daily letters reminding him not to hurt her. Called Heard a “filthy whore,” “slippery whore,” and similar slurs in messages. Heard recorded Depp smashing cabinets and slamming items in a rage—used as evidence of abuse. “Monster” Nickname: Depp gave himself the nickname "Monster" and asked Heard to help “lock it away.” Told his doctor he successfully locked up the “monster child” inside him. 🧑‍⚖️ Court Testimonies & Witness Accounts Josh Drew: Testified Depp burst into his apartment screaming, cursing, and spitting in his face. Friend Elizabeth Marz ran and hid out of fear during the same incident. Elizabeth Marz: Testified Depp charged at her with a wine bottle. Described Heard as swollen and disheveled the night after a fight. Support for her story came from Raquel Pennington. Dr. Anderson (couple’s therapist): Described the relationship as “mutually abusive” but documented that Depp hit Heard first. Testified Heard “fought back,” contradicting claims that she was the sole abuser. Amber Heard’s Recordings: Captured Depp’s violent behavior and admissions of self-harm threats. Depp tried to coerce Heard into cutting him and threatened to do it himself. 💬 Public & Social Media Manipulation Misinformation Campaigns: Depp’s fans spread altered and cherry-picked clips to discredit Heard. Memes and hashtags like “#MePoo” and “Amber Turd” went viral. Heard’s documentation of abuse was mocked as “performative” or “manipulative.” DARVO Tactic (Deny, Attack, Reverse Victim & Offender): Experts allege Depp used DARVO to paint himself as the victim. Manipulated media to flip narratives, despite significant evidence of his own violent behavior.

Answer 25

Johnny Depp and Amber Heard met on the set of ‘The Rum Diary’ in 2009. But it wasn’t until the promotion of the film in late 2011 that they reportedly became romantically involved. Depp was 48 and Heard was 25. Depp was also still dating Vanessa Paradis at the time. Prior to Depp, Heard was dating Tasya Van Ree. In Sept 2009, Heard is arrested for allegedly striking Tasya at an airport. Van Ree states Heard was “wrongfully arrested” and that the incident was misinterpreted and sensationalized. Charges against Heard are quickly dropped. In June 2012, Johnny Depp announces that he and his partner of 14 years, Vanessa Paradis, have split. From there, things quickly heat up between Depp and Heard. E! reports Depp was so smitten with Heard, he bought her a horse. The actress begins to regularly visit Depp on set. In 2013, Depp is profiled by Rolling Stone in an article where he reveals a dependency on pain medication and alcohol, but also that he’s been sober for “a year and a half”. He reportedly falls of the wagon right before the first alleged incident of abuse. The first allegation of abuse occurs in March 2013. Heard claims Depp slapped her 3 times after she made a joke about his ‘Wino Forever’ tattoo. She claims to have a text in which he apologizes for turning into “the monster”. Depp denies the incident and doesn’t recall the joke. Later in March 2013, Depp and Heard have another altercation, which he refers to in texts as the “disco bloodbath”. He accuses Heard of having an affair and backhands her while wearing heavy rings. Heard claims he hit her so hard that blood from her lips landed on the wall. A photo taken after the alleged “disco bloodbath” incident is revealed in court. Depp claims it proves Heard has no visible facial injuries. Heard claims she’s hiding her bruise behind her hair in the photo. In late March 2013, Heard vents to her mother about her troubled relationship with Depp. She alleges Depp was completely off the wagon by this point and in a “spiral”. Depp refers to these texts as Heard admitting he wasn’t violent with her. In June 2013, during a night of drinking and drugs, Depp allegedly becomes enraged when a female friend of Heard’s flirts with her. He threatens to break the womans wrists. He then damages the trailer they were staying in and refers to Heard as a “lesbian camp counselor”. Despite turmoil in their relationship, Depp and Heard become engaged in January 2014. Heard is photographed wearing an engagement ring, and later the couple confirm the engagement to People Magazine. In May 2014, while on a plane, Heard alleges Depp confronted her about shooting romantic scenes with James Franco, and accused her of having an affair. Depp proceeds to taunt, throw things at, and kick Heard. He later texts her an apology. Depp’s assistant confirms the incident. In Aug 2014, Depp goes to his private island to detox from painkillers. During this time Heard alleges he grabbed her by the hair and pushed her. Heard texts an on-sight nurse for help. Depp says he was in no physical state to get violent and accuses Heard of withholding his meds. Following the detox trip, Depp texts Heard’s mother that he “couldn’t have made it without [Amber]”, stating it was “Amber and Amber only that got me through this”. He reportedly remains sober for the next few months. In Jan 2015, Heard alleges Depp slapped her, grabbed her by the hair, and knelt on her back in their Tokyo hotel room. Depp denies any abuse as his children were in another room nearby. The couple later attends the Mortdecai premiere, where Depp says Amber had no visible injuries. A month later in Feb 2015, Amber Heard and Johnny Depp tie the knot in a private ceremony in LA. They have a larger wedding ceremony on Depp’s private island in the Bahamas. Heard’s sister testified she warned Amber ‘a ring won’t stop him from hitting you’. The most severe abuse allegation occurs in March 2015, where Heard claims Depp put her through a “hostage situation” over the course of 3 days in Australia. Heard alleges Depp was abusing ecstasy and alcohol and that he viciously assaulted her, putting her in fear for her life. Depp alleges Heard put a cigarette out on his cheek and began throwing bottles at him after being asked to sign a postnuptial agreement, resulting in his fingertip being severed by a bottle that shattered and ricocheted. Heard claims he injured himself while smashing a telephone. Heard’s claim is supported by Depp's texts to his doctor stating he cut his own finger. He admits to dipping his injury in paint and defacing mirrors, accusing “Easy Amber” of having an affair w/ Billy Bob Thornton. He doesn't seek medical care for 24 hrs & is later hospitalized. On 3/23/15, Depp allegedly hits Heard repeatedly. His security arrives but does not intervene. Heard’s sister is standing by a flight of stairs and Depp makes a pushing motion, resulting in Heard punching him w/ a closed fist. She says it was self defense. Heard’s sister, Whitney, confirms the 3/23/15 altercation in her testimony, declaring she witnessed Depp grabbing Amber by the hair with one hand and punching her in the head with his other hand. Depp denies this. During the Australia incident, Heard alleges she sustained scars from Depp dragging her across glass. In April 2015, Heard’s injuries are visible during a premiere at Tribeca Film Festival. Depp’s lawyers claim the scars are actually from self harm. In July 2015, on a train in Southeast Asia during their honeymoon, Depp allegedly hits Heard and grabs her by the throat at 3:30am. Depp’s security testify they wouldn’t have known about a fight at 3am. In a photo from that night, Depp claims his red nose is an injury from Heard. Sept 2015, Depp & Heard have an altercation involving her slamming a door in his face. She claims he scraped her toes while forcing a door open, resulting in her hitting him to escape. Depp alleges he was punched in the jaw. She would later address the incident in her deposition: “That's what actually happened, which is him trying to get into a room. I'm trying to creep him out of it. And then he runs the door over my toes, trying to get into the room. I try to push him out of it, which is what the hit is referred to. And Johnny, whenever he was injured or touched at all, We've referred to it in these ways of punching or clocked or whatever and whether you didn't just trust it with him or not The last thing you do and in talking to him afterwards or trying to reconcile with him If you get into what the definition of those words mean to him just who I just never I never even addressed it He would if he was ever pushed it was it was a quote he called it a cold clock.” Thanksgiving Day 2015, after celebrating with friends including Marilyn Manson, Amber claims Depp threw her around the room, busted her lip, and left her with a knot. Depp shares videos of Heard joking and laughing at dinner to indicate she wasn’t abused. In Dec 2015, Depp allegedly drags Amber by the hair through his LA penthouse, ripping out clumps of her hair. Heard claims he then slapped, head butted her, dragged her on a bed and punched her repeatedly. She feared he was in a blackout state and would unintentionally kill her. Depp would later admit to “head butting” Heard during the Dec 2015 altercation, but claims it was an accident. Heard seeks help from a private nurse who noted she had a split lip but couldn’t confirm the hematomas she described on her scalp. That same week in Dec 2015, Heard is scheduled to appear on James Corden. She says she wore heavy makeup and red lipstick to hide her injuries. A stylist says she saw no injuries on her but recalls Heard told her after filming, “Can you believe I did that show with 2 black eyes?” Heard's make-up artist, Melanie Inglessis, testifies that she noticed a split lip, a bruise near the eye, and a chunk of hair missing on Amber’s head when doing her make-up for the James Corden appearance in December 2015. Depp maintains she had no injuries during the show. On April 21 2016, Depp arrives late to Amber’s 30th birthday party, allegedly drunk and high. When Heard confronts him about being late, he throws a magnum of champagne and a wine glass at her and shoves her to the floor. He then proceeds to trash their condo. Depp denies this. In his court filing, Depp claims after Amber confronted him about his tardiness to her birthday, she attacked him for ruining her party. He claims she punched him twice in the face. Depp submits a photo of his injury, though it’s dated March 2015, a year before the incident. A day later in April 2016, a maid finds feces in their bed. Depp blames Heard, claiming she did it as a revenge prank. Heard says her dog was likely the culprit due to having bowel issues. A text is read in court where Depp previously jokes about defecating in their bedroom. A judge rules that it is unlikely that Heard or a friend defecated in the bed after evidence reveals her dog had an incomplete mastery of her bowels. Heard’s reps claims Depp leaked the story to humiliate the actress. The couple take time apart and Heard travels to Coachella. On May 20, 2016, Johnny’s mother, Betty Sue Palmer, passes away after a long illness at age 81. Depp reportedly takes her death hard and becomes an ‘emotional mess’. Depp’s team denies reports of concern, stating “he’s been drinking but hasn’t been out of control”. On May 21, 2016 at 8:06pm, Amber is arguing with Johnny and asks their neighbor, Raquel Pennington, to come over. Raquel states she heard the argument and entered to see Depp screaming at Heard while she cowered. She proceeds to place her body between them to protect Amber. During the May 21 2016 altercation, Depp allegedly throws his iPhone hard at Amber, causing an injury. She’s on the phone with her friend iO Tillet Wright and screams “call the cops!” as Depp continues to strike her. Wright hears Depp saying he’d peel her hair back and calls 911. Pennington and another friend, Joshua Drew, take Amber to their apartment for protection. LAPD arrive 9:16pm but claim they didn’t see any injuries or damage. Amber refuses to provide a statement, and they leave a business card if she changes her mind. Depp denies hitting her. Following the May 21 2016 altercation, Amber texts nurse Erin Boerum that Depp hit her in the face several times. A medical report confirms her injury. Amber later texts Elon Musk that she’s getting a restraining order against Depp, and decides to file for divorce that Monday. Around 11pm on 5/22/16 James Franco visits Amber at her apartment and allegedly asks “what happened to you?”. CCTV footage is referenced by Depp’s lawyers who claim Heard was having an affair and is visibly injury-free, though her face isnt clearly visible. On May 23, 2016 Amber files for divorce from Johnny Depp, citing irreconcilable differences. She obtains an emergency temporary restraining order and seeks spousal support. She is photographed at the courthouse with a bruise on her cheekbone, which Depp alleges she “painted on”. Following Heard’s allegations and divorce petition on May 23 2016, Depp files a memorandum denying abuse and accuses Amber of “attempting to secure a premature financial resolution by alleging abuse”. In response, Heard drops her request for monthly spousal support. On June 1 2016, People Mag obtains photos of Amber’s face covered with injuries that were allegedly caused by Depp. A concierge in her building tells TMZ he saw no bruises on her. She is widely criticized for divorcing Depp 3 days after his mother died and branded a gold digger. On August 12, 2016 a video recorded by Heard is published on TMZ showing Depp slamming cabinets and throwing glasses and a bottle. Depp claims he was reacting in grief over his mother’s death, though the video is dated Feb 2016 - 3 months before she died. On Aug 13 2016 Amber testifies under oath in a 7hr deposition about Depp’s abuse. Under questioning by his lawyers, she admits “I did sometimes use physical force to defend myself when I was being attacked, overpowered or felt threatened. I did at times throw objects at Johnny.” On August 16 2016 Depp and Heard settle their divorce. As part of the settlement, Heard withdraws her request for a domestic violence order of protection and accepts $7M. The couple release a joint statement declaring “neither party has made false accusations for financial gains”. On Jan 14 2017 Depp and Heard finalize the divorce and allegedly sign non-disparagement and non-disclosure agreements. Heard keeps their dogs and Depp keeps his real estate properties. Depp refuses to give the divorce money directly to Heard, opting to make donations in her name. A year later, on April 28, 2018: British tabloid newspaper The Sun publishes an article by Dan Wooton that refers to Depp as a “wife-beater.” The publication of this article sets off a chain of events that will eventually lead to a widely publicized trial. June 1, 2018: Depp and his attorney, Adam Waldman, file a libel lawsuit against News Group Newspapers Ltd, which publishes The Sun. Waldman, who previously represented Russian oligarchs and worked on behalf of Putin, advises Depp there is injustice being done to his reputation. In June 21, 2018: Depp is profiled by Rolling Stone in an article titled “The Trouble with Johnny Depp” discussing his squandered $650M fortune, suing former managers for mismanaging his money, firing his agents, overspending and experiencing depression from his financial woes. October 2, 2018: Depp is profiled by British GQ for their Nov 18 issue, and addresses the abuse allegations against him: “I could feel people look at me differently because of the accusations… Ultimately, the truth will come out in all of this… I know the truth.” December 18, 2018: Amber Heard writes an op-ed for The Washington Post denouncing the treatment of abused women. She doesn’t name Depp in the article but writes about becoming a public figure representing domestic abuse. This op-ed will soon become the basis for Depp’s lawsuit. Dec 20, 2018: Disney announces Depp won’t be returning for the next “Pirates of the Caribbean”, as they pursue rebooting the franchise. Depp alleges this decision was a result of Heard’s op-ed, though Disney denies it. In court, Depp later admits he wouldn’t have returned anyway. March 1, 2019: Johnny Depp and his lawyer Adam Waldman file a $50M defamation lawsuit against Amber Heard over her WaPo op-ed. The lawsuit states “Heard is not a victim of violence, she is a perpetrator” and claims her abuse accusations were an “elaborate hoax” for publicity. As part of the Mar 1, 2019 lawsuit Depp submits photos of his bruises, allegedly inflicted by Heard. He claims, “She hit, punched and kicked me.” In photos taken by his security on Dec 2015, Depp displays injuries he says were caused by Heard slapping and scratching him. April 11, 2019: In response to Depp’s lawsuit, Heard files a 300-page motion to dismiss, writing; “Johnny often would not remember his violent conduct after he came out of his drunk or medicated states” She alleges 14 incidents of abuse with evidence (This becomes relevant later). January 2020: Private recordings from 2015 are leaked to DailyMail. In the 2 hour audio, Heard admits to hitting Depp, and Depp confirms they’ve been physically violent with each other. Segments from this tape go viral. Depp admits, “we’re a crime scene waiting to happen”. The most circulated portion of the leaked recordings from Jan 2020 is Depp and Heard discussing the Sep 2015 altercation where Heard claims she hit Depp after he crushed her toes with a door. She admits, “I was hitting you. I was not punching you.” February 2020: Another recording leaks to DailyMail, reportedly from 2016. A clip of Amber Heard mocking Johnny Depp saying “no one will believe you” goes viral. In context, she’s responding to Depp saying they had “a fair fight” and reminds him she’s smaller than he is: “Please tell people that it was a fair fight and see what the jury and judge think. Tell the world, Johnny. Tell them Johnny Depp. I, Johnny Depp, man, I'm a victim too of domestic violence. And I, you know, it's a fair fight. It sees how these people believe, or side with you. Because you're bigger and you're stronger. And so when I say that I thought you could kill me, that doesn't mean you counter, which you lost your own finger. I am not trying to attack you here. I'm just trying to point out the fact of why I said call 911. Because I was... You had your hands on me after you threw a phone at my face. And it just got crazy in the past. And I truly thought I need to stop this madness before I get hurt. And I never think about myself that way. I never defend myself that way. I never see myself as a victim. It's to a fault, you know?” In the second leaked recording, from an unspecified date after their divorce, Depp and Heard argue over her coming forward with abuse allegations, and Heard reminds him she had enough evidence for a prosecution. Depp attempts to convince Heard to handle everything privately: “Amber: The reason I haven't filed that police statement, which has been used against me, by the way, every day, and the only reason I won't do it, I haven't done it, is because I don't want to hurt you and that means it goes out of my hand. And every, you have a third party guy, a third party prosecutor come, and a criminal lawyer come, and they went like, the problem is, hearing from you, like your biggest struggle is that this is just, it's such a, it's the most solid evidence case that domestic violence has ever seen, and if you give this over to them, or present any part of it, they will prosecute him. And I felt like, I was, I was, I'm not, like, I wouldn't ever want to act free. Because I don't even, it's hard for me to even understand, I don't call myself, like, it's just not in my head, and it's hard for me to even accept any sort of victim to him, ever. And it's just… - Johnny: Amber, listen, here's what I... I don't want to hurt you. I understand, I understand, and I don't want to hurt you either. I'm only going to say this, I, I love you, I love you, and I've always loved you. And I know that, look, you do whatever you feel you have to do. I'm telling you now, it's a mistake to go to court. But if you want to go to court, we'll go to court. I would rather, I would rather take care of it a different way. I think it would, it would be very good for you, and I think it would be very good for me. But you know what, baby, baby, baby, baby. Amber, I didn't call you those things. I didn't call you those things."

Answer 26

“I have listened to every minute of every day of this trial. Here are some bullet points of what I’m thinking if I’m a juror going off JUST the evidence submitted so far. * It’s clear they had a dysfunctional relationship. Both sides accuse the other of physical violence. * Their Joint Marriage counselor testified to hearing that both of them have hit each other in the past during their couples counseling AND that she observed bruising on Amber’s cheek in person. * On record, Amber is the aggressor / ‘stand-her-ground’ type, and Depp’s strategy is to run from fights. But we have still mainly heard testimony from the plaintiff’s side so far in this trial.. Based on what we’ve heard she seemed unpleasant to be around and overly-dramatic / manipulative. * Depp’s longtime friend Isaac Baruch was by far the most likable witness thus far. He described Depp as the more docile of the two. However, him and every other witness for Depp have been on Depp’s payroll in some capacity. I’d bet their testimonies are being taken with a grain of salt from the jurors. * Depp clearly has a nasty drug habit. Roxycodone, cocaine, molly, benzos, ambien, and good ol’ booze. He probably should have been put in an accredited in-patient detox facility 8-years ago. Depp is on record in his own words to having a dark side when he is in the thralls of his addiction called “The Monster.” * *Depp’s concierge Doctor (Kipper) seems a bit shady. If you dig up his history you’ll see that he’s almost lost his medical license in his past for the generous prescriptions and poor record keeping. The defense touched on this a tiny bit in their opening statements. I’ll put an asterisk on this one since i did a little outside research on this guy. * Depp’s Severed Finger: There was a drunken fight and Depp ended up losing a part of his finger. It still isn’t clear if Depp self-mutilated after the fight or if a thrown vodka bottle did this. We will hear more testimony on this later in the trial. * The defense keeps redirecting witnesses to their memories of an infamous private jet flight. Apparently Johnny blacked out and kicked Amber on this flight. The jurors have seen text messages regarding this as fact. * What confuses me is that Depp made the statement that he’s “never hit a woman” today. Isn’t that going to be a bit troublesome since his own counselor testified to hearing about their mutual physical altercations AND to seeing bruises on Amber’s face? All the defense is trying to prove is that the Washington Post article is protected under the first amendment… and if Depp actually did strike her at any point even if it was just once, i think it will swing the jury to side with the defense or throw out the case altogether. TLDR - So far it sounds like both sides were toxic. Amber may be the aggressor but they both may have hit each other in the relationship. Unfortunately if that is the take-away from this at the end of the trial, i don’t think Depp has a case.” ------------------- Other Reddit post on Heard not being “the perfect victim”: “From what I’ve read the Depp being the abusive addict is the most center-realistic take, from the witnesses saying Amber had bruises on her face, texts of his to others saying he wanted to hurt her, findings that he lied about injuries he gave himself but blamed on Heard, other witness statements about him breaking things in an angry rage around his partners, and all the contradictory statements he has made about when he was/was not under the influence. Depp just has such a large fanbase and such a huge vendetta against Heard that online his wrongs are being covered brushed over and any flaws on her end are being blown up. One thing that really bothers me is how much folks are piling on Heard because she is not the “perfect victim.” That is a fear that keeps countless people from speaking out. Not all abuse victims quietly cower in a corner when their partners are being violent towards them. Sometimes victims try to fight back with their words or their bodies and that doesn’t undermine their reality as victims.” Reddit comment responding to someone saying that Depp proved the abuse allegations were false during the UK trial but the evidence was thrown out: “Okay so regarding your first link - this isn’t ‘proven false after the case’ though. I’ve read the case, and linked it elsewhere - this was just counter-evidence provided during the case. That article was written during the trial. The stylist said Amber Heard didn’t have injuries - but only saw her after the makeup artist had already made up her face and the hairstylist had fixed her hair. Both the makeup artist and hairstylist provided statements that Amber Heard was bruised and had parts of her hair pulled out. You can read that in the judgment from 407. Depp actually admitted in that instance he may have headbutted her, and that he hadn’t actually read his own witness statement. He also messaged Amber’s father apologising for going way too far in that fight and fucking up, he was on a LOT of coke. The charity thing is difficult - that article doesn’t actually provide the evidence, but imo that’s pretty separate to accusations of abuse. He’s just trying to prove she’s a gold-digger, and I don’t think that really matters either way. And neither did the judiciary, as it wasn’t counted as fresh evidence for a retrial.”

Answer 27

A Breakdown of December 15, the Incident Before Heard’s Corden Appearance On December 15th, Heard and Depp were involved in a physical altercation where they both allege the other party was physically violent with them. This thread walks through the version of events cited by each person, and details accompanying evidence and testimony surrounding this incident. Information for this thread was taken from the UK Trial Judgement, which can be found here. There is also video from the US trial where photos of the incident were shown to the court and jury. Note this does not contain all of the evidence surrounding this incident, so feel free to cite more information to add to the discussion here. The purpose of this post is to provide information from both sides, and encourage discussion of why you believe one party or the other or debate the strength of the evidence cited. Note that Depp’s version of events is much shorter because his response to this incident was much shorter than Heard’s according to the UK trial judgement. If anyone has any more information to add which is supported by court transcripts or testimony, please feel free to post it below and I can add it in under Depp’s Version of Events. Heard’s Version of Events: Both were in their penthouse in Los Angeles when Depp began throwing objexts at her and knocking items around the room and punched the wall. Heard says Depp slapped her, grabbed her by her hair, and dragged her around the apartment. During this process, Heard says chunks of her hair were pulled out by Depp. Heard tried to escape the violence by moving upstairs, but Depp followed her and hit her in the back of the head and dragged her the last few steps up the stairs. Depp continued attacking her at the top of the stairs, and Heard told Depp her wrist was broken in an effort to get him to stop attacking her. Heard was knocked to the floor by Depp, who stood back up. Depp then said, “Oh, so you think you’re a fucking tough guy?” He headbutted, which caused her nose to begin bleeding. This same evening, Heard said she wanted to leave Depp and she would call the police if he ever touched her again. Depp attacked her again, pushed her down, and began punching her in the back of the head. He shouted “I fucking will kill you—I’ll fucking kill you, you hear me” or something similar. The fight continued onto a bed where Depp held Heard down by placing a knee on her back and the other on the edge of the wooden bedframe. He repeatedly struck Heard while screaming, “I fucking hate you” over and over again. Heard screamed during this incident as she feared for her life, and claimed to have headaches and pain for at least a week after this incident. Depp’s Version of Events: Depp’s response on this event in the UK trial is a lot shorter than Heard’s. He denies her version of events and claims Heard fabricated this incident of violence, and says he was attacked by Heard instead. He was left with scratches and swelling on his face, and asserts Heard had no visible injuries on her face the day after this incident. Sean Bett, one of Depp’s body guards, took photos of Depp’s injuries but testified he had not seen them occur. Here are several sources from the incident on December 15th, including photographs, witness testimony, and audio which prove Heard as abused by Depp. Witness Testimony Io Tillet reported seeing Heard's injuries afterwards, as well as Raquel Pennington, Josh Drew, and Melanie Inglessis. Depp's own nurse, Erin Boerum, also reported seeing injuries on Heard. Io Tillet's Wright (Pages 9-10) 40. I remember for me this was a turning point in my feelings about him. I remember thinking, I don’t know how this is supposed to continue after this. 41. I saw the aftermath too. I saw a clump of hair on the floor. It looked to be blonde, long hair that looked like Amber’s length and colour of hair. I saw a wine spill or stain of some kind, like a bottle of wine had been spilt. 42. I went up to the bedroom to look around at some point and I saw blood on her pillow where she had slept. I remember my heart breaking because I knew then how bad it had gotten– it was just undeniable. There were no excuses to be made for him anymore. For me, it suddenly went from, ”I’m a child of addicts who has a lot of rope for behaviour that you’re not in control of”, to “I don’t care what caused this because nothing ever can make this ok.” 43. She told me she had felt that she had to go ahead with the James Corden show because it was too late to pull out. I remember her telling me Melanie, her make-up artist, had to cover her injuries with make-up. She told me she had collapsed crying onto Samantha McMillan’s shoulder when she arrived to help her get ready and dress her. 44. Amber clearly appeared to me to be rattled. She said she couldn’t reconcile being in love with someone who had been so violent towards her. 45. I asked her if she would be open to reporting him to the police. She said, “I don’t want to get him in trouble” and “what about his kids?” – she was still trying to protect him and didn’t want his kids to know he was doing this. At that point, the idea of making it public was still so unthinkable for her. I told her that her safety was more important, but she kept saying it would destroy him and she didn’t want to do it. It was as if she felt guilty about taking action to protect herself if it meant causing harm to him. We talked about it and the understanding was, as soon as you call the police it will be the front page of every magazine around the world, and it would destroy him and destroy his career. She really did not want to do that Raquel Pennington (Pages 4-5) 19. On this occasion, Amber asked me to come over to her place to check her out. I could see that her head was bloody where a chunk of her hair had been ripped out from the back of her head close to the crown. Her face was red and her nose was swelling up. Her lip was bleeding. She told me that Johnny had head-butted her. She said she thought he might have broken her nose. 20. I helped Amber with her injuries and called for assistance from a private nurse who was part of the concierge medical service which Johnny and Amber used. I then took photographs with my phone of her injuries. I photographed Amber’s face and took photos of the apartment. There was broken glass under the dining room table. In the kitchen a message was scrawled onto the kitchen counter with a gold Sharpie. Parts of it were illegible to me but it said words to the effect of “why be a fraud, all is such bullshit”. 21. I then went upstairs and took photographs of the damage. I photographed a big clump of hair on the floor which was blonde in colour and clearly belonged to Amber. There was also a wooden platform bed which had a partially-broken bed frame and a body shaped imprint in the bedding. 22. Amber told me that she and Johnny had started to argue in the bedroom and that at some point it started to escalate and get physical. She said she tried to get away, and he grabbed her by the shoulders and head-butted her and threw her on the bed. She said that when she tried to get away again, he grabbed her by the hair so hard he pulled it out. She said he then threw her on the bed face down and started holding her down. She told me “I couldn’t breathe…I thought he was actually going to kill me.” She said that he was kicking her in the back (that was how the bed broke – apparently when his foot slipped and kicked the bed) and punching her in the back of the head. Eventually she managed to get away from him. Johnny then left. Neither Amber nor I got much sleep that night. 23. The next day, Amber had an appearance on the James Corden Show. I was at Amber’s apartment as she got ready for the show. Amber and I were exhausted, and Amber was shaken, upset, and trying to pull herself together for the show. Samantha was styling her, Melanie was doing her makeup, and Adir was doing her hair. Everyone was in damagecontrol mode and appeared to be aware of Amber’s injuries. I remember Adir telling Amber not to touch her hair because he had styled it to cover up where the clump had been pulled out, and Melanie telling Amber she was going to do a certain kind of lip to cover the swelling. We all went to the studio and were together in the green room before the show. Melanie and Adir did touch-ups to Amber’s hair and makeup, while Samantha and I sat on a small sofa. I remember that Samantha put her arm around me as if to comfort me, and I leaned in towards her. Josh Drew (Pages 31-32): Q Did you see her -- did you see Ms. Heard that night? A Yes. Q Did you notice any bruising or other signs of injury? A Yes. Pretty significant. Q What did you observe? A I noticed specifically she had -- she had pretty significant bruising on the inside of both -- of both eye sockets kind of extending down the bridge of her nose, and her forehead was red. Melanie Inglessis (Begins on line 20, item 7): The first time I saw the physical evidence of Johnny’s abuse was before Amber was scheduled to appear on the Late Show with James Corden. Amber and I were supposed to go bowling the night before, but Amber told me that she could not join because she had been in a bad fight with Johnny. I came over to the Eastern Building to apply makeup before her TV appearance, and as I walked into her kitchen, I saw writing on the countertop in gold marker. Attached hereto as Exhibit 1 is a true and correct copy of a picture that depicts the writing I saw that night. I also saw that a number of Amber’s possessions had been smashed or destroyed. When I saw Amber, I immediately noticed that she had a split lip and a bruise near her eye. I also saw that there was a chunk of hair missing from her head. Amber told me that Johnny had tried to suffocate her. Throughout the time I was applying makeup on Amber’s injuries, we discussed whether it would be possible to keep the fact of Johnny’s violence a secret. Amber repeatedly told me that she did not want to expose this part of her life to the public, and that she was considering canceling the appearance altogether. Meanwhile, I was working on Amber’s makeup and distinctly remember having no choice but to use a bright red lipstick that day because it was the only way to cover the injury on her lip. I was also able to cover the bruise adjacent to Amber’s eye using makeup. After I finished applying her makeup and Adir finished with Amber’s hair, we all went to the studio for Amber’s appearance on James Corden’s show. While there, Amber “turned it on,” and hid the emotions that she had shared with us at her Penthouse—as I have seen her act on numerous other occasions—to prevent others from learning about her troubles with Johnny. Kevin Murphy is here (paragraphs 14 and 15) I attended Mr Depp's penthouse at 849 South Broadway, Los Angeles, California 90014 (the "Penthouse") on December 16th, 2015. Shortly after I arrived, Ms Heard called to me from upstairs in the master bedroom. When I went upstairs, I found her sitting at the edge of the bed crying. Ms Heard said that Mr Depp had hit her in the face several times and pulled out her hair. I remember standing roughly four feet away and becoming suspicious, as Ms Heard did not appear to be wearing any makeup on this occasion and there were no marks, bruises, cuts, redness or swelling to Ms Beard's face, nor was there any area on her head where her hair appeared to have been pulled out. I believe she was waiting for a stylist and/or make-up artist to arrive at this time. About an hour or so following this discussion, Ms Heard told me that she wanted to show me something in the bedroom of Penthouse 4. I followed Ms Heard to the upstairs bedroom of Penthouse 4 and she showed me a tuft of hair that she claimed Mr Depp had pulled out of her head the previous evening. Because I was suspicious of these claims, I immediately took a photograph of the hair with my mobile phone. I was subsequently shocked to see a photo on the internet which had been produced by Ms Heard, showing the hair she claimed had been pulled out by Mr Depp and an injury to her head. When I compared this to the photograph I had taken on my own mobile phone, the hair looked quite different to the hair in the photograph Ms Heard had presented as evidence. I have exhibited the photo that I took of her hair along with the photo that Ms Heard had taken and I believe the differences are apparent. The photos are at pages 1 of Exhibit KMl. In addition, I understand that it is alleged by the Defendants that, in the course of physically abusing Ms Heard, Mr Depp broke the bed frame of the bed with his boot. I also took a photo of the bed at the time, which is exhibited at page 2 of Exhibit KMl. My photo is different to that subsequently released by Ms Heard, which is exhibited at page 3 of Exhibit KM 1. Sarah McMillen (paragraphs 5 and 6) On December 16th, 2015, I spent much of the afternoon and early evening with Ms Heard, preparing her to appear on the James Corden show. I saw her throughout the day of December 16th, 2015, in good light, at close range, wearing no makeup. Throughout the day of December 16th, 2015, I could see clearly that Ms Heard did not have any visible marks, bruises, cuts, or injuries to her face or any other part of her body. She appeared as a guest on the James Corden show that day. After the show, Ms Heard said to me "can you believe I just did that show with two black eyes?". Ms Heard did not have any black eyes, and had been visibly uninjured throughout the day and at that moment. I later learned that Ms Heard had accused Mr Depp, in court filings and the media, of violently abusing her the previous night, December 15"', 2015. Audio During his UK testimony, Depp is questioned about the headbutt and whether or not it is accidental. Here is audio contained from the trial, where Depp admits to having headbutted Heard during this incident: ‘AH: You can’t throw a punch but yet screaming’s OK. You somebody but don’t scream huh? can head-butt J D: I head-butted you in the fuckin’ ... AH: I couldn’t believe you did that. JD: ... forehead. That doesn’t break a nose. AH: I don’t know if you were aware, I don’t think you did. I don’t think you broke it. JD: Don’t think I broke it, I didn’t touch it! AH: Oh please, you didn’t touch it? You don’t know. JD: There’s nothing wrong with your nose.’ Medical Records? A common misconception is that victims of abuse frequently seek medical attention. They do not. Only 34% report seeking medical attention after being abused. Despite this, Heard actually did seek help for some of her injuries after this incident from members of Depp's own medical team. In fact, Erin Boerum, one of Depp's nurses, reported in her notes having seen the injuries on Heard. The second note indicate Erin Boerum did in fact see Heard's split lip. Erin Boerum (Notes on this incident) Page 91, Item 440 of the UK Judgement: ‘She states husband JD was inebriated. [Ms Heard] states the disagreement escalated and states JD used his forehead to hit her head. [Ms Heard] denies loss of consciousness. States she has headache and bruised eye. [Ms Boreum] encouraged [Ms Heard] to notify Dr Kipper and/or go to emergency room if she was injured or felt like she isin danger. [Ms Heard] declined and stated friend Rocky [Pennington] is with her and that husband JD will not be able to re-enter home.’ Page 92, Item 444 of the UK Judgement: ‘[Ms Boerum] in contact with [Ms Heard] to notify her that she would be able to deliver medications to her home. [Ms Boerum] waited at door for several minutes after knocking. [Ms Heard] greeted [Ms Boerum] at door looking dishevelled. Her hair appeared unbrushed. [Ms Heard] appeared weepy and sad. Posture is slouched. [Ms Heard] told [Ms Boerum] about argument with husband. [Ms Boerum] offered emotional support but reminded [Ms Heard] that [Ms Boerum] could not stay as on duty with another client. And was only visiting in order to deliver medication. Per [Ms Heard] she has not had contact with husband since altercation. [Ms Heard] had visible bright red blood appearing at center of lower lip. When [Ms Boerum] made [Ms Heard] aware that she was actively bleeding on her lip [Ms Heard] stated it was from the injury sustained in the argument between her and her husband, and that it continues to bleed actively. [Ms Heard] also states that her head is bruised and that she lost clumps of hair in the altercation. [Ms Boerum] briefly looked at her [Ms Heard’s] scalp but was unable to visualise the haematomas [Ms Heard] had described. [Ms Boerum] encouraged [Ms Heard] to be seen by physician Dr Kipper or go to emergency/Urgent care for thorough assessment.’ Heard also sought help from the medical team for a persistent headache she had after this incident. Here is note of her phone consultation with a member of the medical team. This note was signed and validated by Dr. Kipper, Depp's personal physician: Note about Heard's Injuries Page 93, Item 450 of UK Judgement: Amber Heard is a 29 year-old English speaking Caucasian female with a past history of insomnia, anxiety and attention deficit disorder. Today the patient reports a headache after she bumped her head while standing up 2 days ago. The patient reports no loss of consciousness, no nausea or vomiting. No change in mental state, or vision changes. Last seen in the office on 12/23/2015 [It is hard to understand this in a note written on 18th December] the patient has not experienced any cardiovascular events., Symptomatically she denies chest pain or dyspnea, PND, orthopnea and ankle edema she denies palpitations, syncope or presyncope....Neurological: At present the patient is awake, alert and fully oriented ... Assessment / Plan ... Reassurance. Dr Kipper is aware of the medical pan and is in agreement... The patient was told to contact Dr Kipper or Monroe AGACNP if there are any questions or changes to health. The patient was also instructed to go directly to the emergency room or dial 911 should she experience dizziness, extreme sleepiness, breathing problems, nausea and vomiting, confusion, difficulty walking, slurred speech, memory loss, poor coordination, seizures or numbness or paralysis in any part of her body.’ Heard also reached out to Dr. Cowan, her therapist, seeking his help after this incident. Dr. Cowan’s notes showed Heard visited him on December 17th: Dr. Cowan's Note Page 92-93, Item 447 of UK Judgement: ‘Some spark ignited an argument that escalated and got violent. Shoving and screaming. Amber related that he started the physicality – pushed her down. Amber got back up. Hard for her to de-escalate a fight. Her strategy (despite our conversations) is not to [indecipherable word] and fight back (not protective of self and very self-defeating)’ Contemporaneous Texts Stephen Deuters, Depp’s assistant, messaging with Jenna Gates: Page 91, Item 442. of the UK Judgement: ‘Between you and I JD and I were up all nite talking. Bad bust up re Amber. Everyone sleeping a few more hours!’ Heard messaging with Erin Boerum on December 17th: Page 92, Item 445 of the UK Judgement: ‘EB: Just finished watching your appearance last night. I had recorded it. You looked and sounded great, and honestly, nothing looked wrong at all. AH: That’s a miracle ... Hey, I have had a headache basically for the last couple of days ... my head isstill really bruised. I still feel a lot of welts on it. I called Kipper’s office and Lisa said he was away until tomorrow but that Monroe could look at me. Do you think I should go and get checked out by him? EB: I think if you are still hurting at this point then it wouldn’t hurt to get a full check up / assessment. Monroe is a really good guy and very smart nurse practitioner. ... Are you OK??? Did you go to the office? AH: yes I did I saw Monroe. And went to therapists and lawyer’s office today. Just really sad.’ Depp messaging David Heard, Heard’s father on December 30th: Page 93-94, Item 451 of the UK Judgement: Yes, I fucked up and went too far in our fight!!! I cannot and WILL NOT excuse my part inside these dramas!!! But, I can promise you, with all confidence, THEY WILL NEVER HAPPEN AGAIN!!! My most sincere apologies if I’ve let you down ... Love you brother ... JD.’

Answer 28

- Because yes...it was her bed too. It was her bed,her room,the house she was living in.And it was full of people working for Johnny.It wasn't "his" bed and I don't know why everyone keeps referring to it as if Amber wasn't sleeping on it too. Text to Stphen Duters from 2013: "Will you squat in front of the door of the master bedroom and leave a giant coil of dookie so that Amber steps in it and thinks that one of the dogs, primarily Boo, has a major problem... It'll be funny!!!" So,Boo has a major problem and is even capable of leaving a "giant coil of dookie"right Johnny?I mean,I know he was joking,but only the fact that he came up with this says a lot about him knowing pretty well about the dog having issues and that is also capable of "giant coil of dookie".Also,pretty ironic that a man with a humour like this found the supposed "poop prank" disgusting,and this isn't the first time Depp becomes extremely disgusting with his words or actions. His maid sent him a photo of a supposed "massive poop" and he somehow concluded that Amber is responsible.I don't know about you guys,but nothing about this poop looks like something a dog with bowel issues couldn't have done.Depp simply presented it as a Godzilla type of poop and everyone fell for it.It is pretty simple.A dog with bowel issues that we know for a fact that has done it before on more than one occasion,pooped on a bed. It is an entertaining story for the haters,but it is nothing more than an easily disproven conspiracy theory with 0 evidence coming from Depp's side.Only an accusation and millions of dollars spent on destroying this woman's life. No, she didn't poop on her bed. - TBH, the dogs pooping everywhere as Josh Drew describes sounds really gross and something should have been done about it. Most people don't know about those texts. Amber is a beautiful and attractive woman - Depp is very much a classic misogynist and historically associating women with being dirty and disgusting is a classic move to remove their humanity and make them repulsive and inhuman. It was to humiliate her and make her look crazy and disgusting. If this was said about a man it would never be used as it has been. I think he always found it funny that her surname rhymed with 'turd' & I think JD is very much aware that Amber didn't do it and has always known. I think he orchestrated the whole calling everyone up to gaslight and laugh at her, it wouldn't surprise me if he was the one who organised the entire faeces being left in the bed as he once said he would. I will always believe that he loved creating big dramas and then watching Amber scramble to prove herself to him whilst he laughed with his friends/employees about how crazy and fucked up she was. I hope Amber knows that he set her up so many times, and that it was always HIM who was the instigator, not his employees, the alcohol or his lawyers/pr people. It was always him. - Yep, it's the thing that still infuriates me because why? Why would she do it when he wasn't even there? And it's just his word against hers for this ridiculous claim and everyone just believed it. It's so stupid. - It was Amber's own bed, they had separated and she was living in one penthouse and he another. Also another thing no one on That Side ever seems to show is the actual size of the fecal matter on the bed, which shows that it is about the size of one of their dogs' usual poo size. They always show the zoomed-in/cropped version of the photo because it makes it look human-sized. - This has always been a big one for me too because of the shear ignorance/bias it takes to believe it. There are many reasons why people believe it, many of which are already mentioned by others here. I’d like to add, because of the way some people I’ve engaged on the subject even get angry when defending that belief, I think it's cognitive dissonance. They can’t accept the fact that she didn’t because it necessarily opens the door to questioning a lot of other things Depp claimed. People will say she admitted it, even though that was only the allegation made by Kevin Murphy in the UK trial, and Staling Jenkins in the Virginia trial, with no proof of her admitting it. The burden of proof rests on those making the claim, yet they just regurgitate the allegation without thinking. Depp wasn’t even at the property to be pranked in that way, proving that allegation false all by itself, because you can’t prank someone in that way when they are not even there. Neither Depp nor Heard was there. The history of the dog’s bowel issues proven in court, and even the photos of the feces shows it does not look human nor human-sized. And the texts and evidence of Depp’s lavatorial humor, and even joking in one text about doing the exact thing he accuses her of doing. (the ‘will you squat in front of the door’ text to Steven Deuters). That last one is significant to my point because not only does it show a projection of his own sick sense of humor, but also shows him to be a complete liar when he tried to claim that he felt it was the final straw in their marriage and wanted a divorce because of it. He has a ‘niche’ sense of poop joke humor, yet if Heard had done it, then how can that infuriate him enough to want a divorce? If Depp supporters have to accept that Depp and his employees lied, then they have to accept Depp did it for no other reason than to defame her with malicious intent through litigation abuse, as he vowed in evidence to do with the "total global humiliation" text. Which of course, having to admit you were wrong about one thing, opens the door to having to accept the many other truths that ultimately prove she was the victim of his abuse.

Answer 29

- The edited audios weren’t submitted as evidence. They’re just confusing the real trial with the social media trial like everyone does Only the full audios were submitted as evidence. Once Depp got ahold of them in the discovery process he edited them and leaked the edits to the Daily Mail. His lawyer was kicked off of the case for it. The audios are edited to make Depp sound like a victim even though he had bodyguards who literally wiped his ass and cleaned up his vomit every day. That man was never without his handlers, but sure, a 100 lb woman beat his ass. It’s ridiculous. The original audio sounds more like she was smacking him away from her, as in self defense. Not punches or slaps. Not unprovoked. - The full audios were available to the VA trial biut the damage was done by blatant evidence tampering by Waldman on behalf of Depp. The VA judge dismissed evidence about the SM campaign in another ruling which was clearly corrupt in favoring Depp. The more you look at the VA trial the more it's clear there was probably criminality. It made the VA legal system look like a total joke....This suit would have been laughed out of court in CA..Luckily the UK judgement remains the ONLY completed legal process in this matter and it condemns Depp as a rapist..3 judges..2 appeals...MSM should really concentrate on that rather than the bogus VA circus.. - The thing that kills me about this is even if she had hit him at some point, there is clear evidence that he physically abused her on multiple occasions. The trial wasn’t about whether she had ever laid a hand on him - in defense or not. It was whether he had ever physically abused her. It’s infuriating. - I’m so glad I just came across this sub. I was bedridden at the time and watched almost the entire trial. Anyone walking away thinking that he wasn’t a complete piece of shit or that he didn’t abuse her doesn’t want to believe the truth and had made up their mind before the trial. - The outcome was due to the fact that her lawyers were nowhere near as good as his, they sucked in fact. And possibly that the jury was already bias.

Answer 30

Initially I was neutral, as I was never a fan of either of them (simply because I don’t care much about them), but after I started following this case, did my research and especially after I listened to her testimonies, I 100% believe her. I myself had been in a toxic relationship with a physical aggressive partner and although definitely not as worse as what Amber had experienced I could relate to many of the things she described. Sadly, everywhere I look (comments in FB, IG, Reddit, news media, the whole internet) it’s overwhelming one-sided. Even my friends, who don’t do any research and just read some headlines and take things on face value, choose to side with him, because it’s the dominating narrative everywhere and they just digested that. It just makes me so sad that I thought there wasn’t anyone left who would believe her and I’m so happy to have found this sub! While browsing this sub, I saw some comments of people who don’t know better and genuinely asking questions here. So I want to start a thread with a list of all the “myths” debunked, that we can refer to when people ask questions. Hopefully helping reach rational people to understand things better. Could you guys help me expand this list? Provide sources if possible “Amber has a history of abusing her past partners” People keep repeating this without any evidence. If you go look into it, the only case you can find is a single incident with her previous ex-girlfriend/wife Tasya Van Ree. According to Tasya, two homophobic individuals in power positions found out Amber was not just friends with Tasya and wrongfully accused Amber of violence fror grabbing Tasya’s arm at an airport. She was arrested, but was quickly released after clarification. Tasya has also come forward publicly many times in defence of Amber. She said that Amber is a brilliant, honest and beautiful woman and she has the utmost respect for her. They also stayed friends after their split and she still supports Amber to this day. She’s also on Amber’s witness list. Of course, you could argue that someone can still support his/her abuser after enduring abuse. However, there aren't any other incidents or evidence that indicates that there was any abuse in their former relationship. Nor is there any other incidents of violence known with anyone else. “Johnny never showed any violent behaviour before” Johnny has been in the news multiple times for violence, including: 1989: arrested after assaulting a security guard who asked a large group of people to leave Johnny's hotel room for causing noisy party complaints 1999: arrested after attacking a paparazzi photographer with a piece of wood for trying to take a picture of him, he later bragged about: "...and it just happened that there was this block of wood on the ground. I guess it was a doorjamb, so I grabbed it, and the guy who was trying to pull the door open, I smacked his hand with the wood. He recoiled, and I said, ‘Now I want you to take a picture. I'm going to cave in your skull with this hunk of wood,’ and miraculously, no one took my photograph. It was becoming more surreal. “I made them walk backwards down the street because I wanted to humiliate them. So they walked backwards, they looked really stupid, and I guess one of them had made a call to the cops. As soon as the cops arrived, they started taking photographs again, but it was worth it. Surreal, poetic, fun.” 1994: arrested and charged with wrecking a hotel room he shared with his then-girlfriend Kate Moss. Police at the time was concerned for her safety. 2018: accused of punching a crew member of the film “City of Lies” in drunken tirade and is currently being sued for it. The trial will start in July this year! He has a history of violent behaviour and this definitely fits the profile of a potential violent abuser. In multiple occasions he also had expressed himself to being violent: He freely admitted to having a terrible temper and getting into many violent altercations in the past: "He said that when he used to get in fights, he was 'a dirty fighter. Oh, yeah. The dirtiest there ever was. Stop at nothing. Balls, sucker punch, bite the ear, pull the ear, gouge an eye out. I have done damage, and damage has been done to me. I've been hit with everything in the world: ashtrays, bottles, the worst being a pointy-toed Tony Lama boot to the face.' He went on: “I still have a hellish temper. I mean, it's diminished a little, but rage is still never very far away.” He's thinking about the paparazzi and what he might do to them if they ever step into what he calls “a sacred kind of circle” the one that surrounds him when he's with his family. “Once again, there's nothing I would stop at. It's a hideous place to go but sometimes a necessary place. Yeah, yeah, shit—biting their noses off, chewing it in front of them would be the least of their problems. Unfortunately. But, fuck 'em.” In a video interview he said: “If anybody gives you any shit, just beat the fuck out of them”. In a magazine interview he said: "I have a lot of love inside me and a lot of anger inside as well. If I love somebody, then I'm gonna love 'em. If I'm angry and I've got to lash out or hit somebody. I'm going to do it and I don't care what the repercussions are. Anger doesn't pay rent, it's gotta go. It's gotta be evicted." In an interview with Letterman he was asked: “Do you beat up people or not?” His answer: “Well, it depends on the situation” and “If someone needs a beating, you’re there right?”, “Yeah”. “Johnny’s previous partners never experienced any abuse from him” Over the years, multiple previous partners have said things about him, although some of them have signed NDAs preventing them from talking. Lori Anne Allison (married from 1983-1985): was paid $1.25 million by Johnny to keep quiet after he allegedly left a long ranting message in which he repeatedly used the N-word Jennifer Grey (dated for 9 months in 1989): wrote in a recent memoir about Johnny always getting in trouble during her time with him: “fights in bars, skirmishes with cops”. When he came home, “he'd be crazy jealous and paranoid about what I'd been up to while he was gone." Winona Ryder (dated in 1989-1993): said in an interview that her first boyfriend used to “smash everything”, but never mentioned his name. However, in another interview she said that Johnny "was my first everything. My first real kiss. My first real boyfriend. My first fiancé. The first guy I had sex with." She also released a statement for the UK libel case, but then hired an attorney to block her testimony. Ellen Barkin (briefly dated in 1994): previously testified in the UK libel case that he threw a wine bottle at her head, despite the fact that they were together for a short time. She said that “he is just a controlling, jealous man” and “there was always an air of violence around him… there was just this world of violence…”. She’s also on Amber’s current witness list. Kate Moss (dated in 1994-1998): had often engaged in public fights with him. As mentioned above, he was arrested for wrecking a hotel room with her in it. In an interview he talked about telling Hunter S. Thompson that “[Kate] gets a severe beating” when asked if he beat her enough. There is also a rumour that he pushed her down the stairs, in the current trial she testified that this rumour is false and said that he never "pushed or kicked her down any stairs", but did not deny him abusing her in any other ways. In the book Champagne Supernovas it was reported that Moss was afraid of Depp's bad moods. Vanessa Paradis (married from 1998-2012): talked in an interview about Johnny exploding and them throwing plates on the wall, but that he can also be very calm when he manages to control his inner demons. She received $150 million in split settlement and had kept silent. Although none of them accused him of physically laying hands on their body, that does not mean there was no abuse. Abuse is not only physically attacking, punching and slapping someone directly. Johnny raging around these women, including wrecking rooms, throwing objects in their direction, is also abuse. It creates a volatile, abusive environment. Besides, an abuser doesn’t have to have had prior victims to be an abuser in a new relationship. Dynamics differ per relationship and from time to time. He could already have rage issues, but not yet resort to physically attacking his previous partners back then. In the early relationships, he also had less years of drug and alcohol abuse under his belt. It also notable that prior to Amber, he was only known to be heavily doing drugs with Kate and not with other partners. It fits Amber's narrative that he only struck her during drug and alcohol-fuelled rages when he turned into an "awful thing". “Amber stole lines from the movie ‘Talented Mr. Ripley’ during trial” A viral tweet that has been reposted many times claimed she copied lines from the movie Talented Mr Ripley during her opening statement. While the post shows a real quote from the movie, a fake transcript was added alongside it to make it look like Amber repeated lines verbatim from the movie. `She never said the words that are attributed to her. In fact, she didn't even have an opening statement herself, as one of her lawyers, Elaine Bredehoft, did the opening statement for her. As the entire trial is livestreamed and then available in the public domain, this could be irrefutable verified. Multiple news sources, including Snopes, Newsweek, Hindustan Times, AP, Politifact all independently did a fact check by reviewing nearly 7 hours of video footage from the trial, news reports and official transcripts, and all debunked this myth. “If Amber was truly abused, she could have left him at any time” This is a good example of victim blaming. Many barriers stand in the way of a woman leaving an abusive relationship, this includes danger, fear, isolation, shame, trauma and practical reasons. Many survivors of abusive relationships can tell you it’s not easy to leave and it is hard for victims to know the right time to leave. Abusers also have ways of manipulating their partners to stay. Amber testified that she knew she should have left Johnny Depp the first time he hit her, but she couldn’t bring herself to do it. “I knew I couldn’t just forgive him, right, because that means it will happen again. Like, I’ve seen the health class videos.” She walked away after being slapped, but a few days later Johnny profusely apologised and promised he’d never do it again. “I wanted to believe him, so I chose to”. After outbursts, she would receive text messages in which he apologized to her and asked her for forgiveness. Although she sought to distance herself from the relationship multiple times, she was drawn back whenever Johnny achieved brief periods sobriety and when the “monster” (the name he had for his intoxicated persona) was subdued. “He said he was embarrassed and sorry, and I believed him, so I got back with him on the condition that he would do the full clean up, the detox, and never go back.” She thought she could help him get completely sober and would accompany him on detox journeys. There are text messages where Johnny says that Amber saved his life and that he wouldn’t made it through detox without her. But he never got completely clean and the abuse continued. The psychologist who examined Amber, Dr Dawn Hughes, has explained that women in abusive relationships are in a 'vicious cycle of trying to figure out how they can be with the man who hurts them and yet they love them so much'. “Amber being able to recall every incident in perfect detail is suspicious” Memories of intense emotions and trauma are very different from everyday memories. It is common in those who have suffered abuse or trauma to recall incidents in perfect detail. A publication about the impact of trauma on the memory of SA victims mentions that victims often focus on some specific sensory details from the assault, like smell, but not how long something lasted. We’ve heard in Amber’s testimony how she remembers details like staring at the dirty carpet after being hit by Johnny for the first time and landing on the floor, not knowing how long she lay there. “Amber is overacting with the faces she makes while testifying, she can’t possibly be assaulted” Reactions to trauma can vary greatly from person to person. Everyone process and presents differently. There is not one particular “correct” way to look when you are assaulted. It's a damaging belief about how a victim should look and behave in order to be deemed a credible source. Supporting this kind of view is very hurting for any other victim of abuse as well. How Amber is judged now, the way she is mocked for the way she looks, speaks and cries, the way her story is made fun of, is horrifying for other victims and undoubtedly hinders them from coming forward with their story. If you truly care about abuse, please try to understand this and think about what impact your words have on other people. Spreading harmful beliefs has implications much larger than this case alone. “Amber is manipulative for constantly looking at the jury instead of the lawyer asking the questions” It’s actually common courtroom tactic and is also being taught in law classes that anyone being asked questions on the stand should be advised to look at the jury when answering questions, not at the lawyer. If it's simple yes and no each time, this doesn't matter and would become awkward looking back and forth, but when giving testimony it's important to face the jury, as they are the ones that decide your case, the ones giving you sympathy, and the ones in the courtroom that you want to connect with the most, and make them feel like you are communicating with them on a more personal level. “Johnny did not get a fair trial for the UK libel case” In 2020, Johnny lost a libel case in which he sued the publisher of The Sun for running an article that labeled him a "wife beater". After a relatively thorough trial, the UK judge ruled against Johnny and found that The Sun had proved what was written was "substantially true". This ruling is significant for the following reasons: In the UK the standard for proof that you’ve been defamed is much lower than in the US. The alleged defamer, in this case the newspaper, has to prove they had very strong basis and proof for making such a claim. Therefore, it is much, much easier to win these cases in the UK than in the US if you're the complainant and probably why Johnny chose to bring the case there. He still lost. You could argue for “home court advantage” for the newspaper, but judicial system in the UK is pretty solid in its own terms. The full judgement from the UK trial is the most comprehensive collection of quality evidence, and it includes the assertions from both sides, relevant testimony and corroboration, and the judge's reasoning for how he came to a conclusion on each incident. Two other judges reviewed the same information, found that he had received a "full and fair" trial, the original conclusions were sound, and that Johnny had no chance of success if the case were retried. “Amber recording him is proof that she already deviously planned to accuse him” It’s common knowledge to document in an abusive relationship. Any DV expert and legal professional will advice you to do so. In fact, it is even needed to file a restraining order. In Amber’s case, she was dealing with a beloved Hollywood actor, so the chance of her being accused of lying is even higher. Her trying to capture evidence of abuse on tape has nothing to do with being devious, but is even required. Women need proof of abuse to be believed. The public condemnation of Amber in this case proves this a million times over. In addition, Amber testified that he would mostly hit her during alcohol/drug-fuelled rages and would remember little to nothing of it afterwards. This claim is backed up by text messages Johnny's former assistant Stephen Deuters sent to Amber after the Boston plane accident, writing "He was appalled. When I told him he kicked you, he cried." Amber said that she started recording his howling during the plane accident, because he wouldn't remember how bad it was afterwards. It is a a way for her to make him aware of his own actions. Amber isn't the only one recording, Johnny recorded her as well. The court was played a recording in which both Johnny and Amber acknowledge they are on tape – suggesting the couple had come to an agreement to record each other during their marriage. In her testimony, Amber explained that she and Johnny began recording their conversations to help them deal with communication problems, saying she was constantly having to deal with different versions of Depp and alleging one version wouldn't remember what the other said as a result of drug use. They agreed to use a safe word during arguments to mean truce, which is the word "couch". The word has been heard a number of times audio recordings of fights between Johnny and Amber. “Cosmetic brand proved that Amber lied about using makeup to cover bruises” During the opening statement that Amber's lawyer Elaine Bredehoft did for her, Elaine held up a compact concealer makeup palette and explained that Amber had used makeup to cover her bruises throughout her relationship with Johnny. "She became very adept at it, and you're going to hear the testimony from Amber about how she had to mix the different colors for the different days of the bruises, as they developed in the different coloring, and how she would use these to touch those up to be able to cover those. She also used concealer foundation. You'll hear from her make-up person that Amber didn't even leave her bedroom without having foundation on." Following this, the cosmetic brand Milani, who recognized the kit the lawyer was holding as to be one of their products, Milani Cosmetics' Conceal + Perfect All-in-One Correcting Kit palette, jumped into the opportunity to generate publicity for themselves by posting a TikTok video saying Amber couldn't have used the specific product to cover any alleged bruises during the relationship, because it had not been released until after the relationship ended. This interference of the cosmetic brand is then reported widely by media and shared as proof Amber lied. However, neither Amber nor her lawyers ever said that the particular product Elaine held up is the exact item she used during the relationship. In fact, at no point was any brand or product mentioned, as fact checked by Newsweek. The palette seems to be used as a generic example for a compact in general to illustrate how far Amber had to go to cover up her injuries. Thus, Milani went out of their way to prove something that was never claimed to begin with. Their unsolicited interference earned them huge backlash for making light of what domestic violence victims have to do to hide results of abuse they endure. In addition, there are different web articles, including this one by Glamour, that actually proves the information Milani depicted in their TikTok video is incorrect. In the video, Milani claims the specific product was launched in December 2017, after Johnny and Amber's divorce. However, the Glamour article is published in June 2016 already recommended this product. In fact, if you go search in Google for articles, you will find results published between 2014 and 2016 about this product. "Amber defecated on their marital bed" In his testimony, Johnny said that after assault incident #13 in April 2016, faecal matter was found on their martial bed by their housekeeper Hilda Vargas. At the time of the discovery, Amber was not present as she went to Coachella for two days. The housekeeper took a picture of the faeces and this picture is also shown in court. Johnny claimed that Amber must the one who defecated for revenge and referred to her as "Amber Turd" ever since. The story has been spread so heavily, one would think there is strong proof of Amber having done it. However, Johnny didn't provide any evidence at all that points towards her being the culprit. Out of all incidents, evidence for this specific situation could most easily be obtained. Johnny could have instructed a sample of the faeces to be collected and sent for DNA analysis by directly comparing the results to DNA samples from Amber or anyone else who could be the culprit. He didn't do any of that and just threw the unfounded claim out there, and people have been sharing it blindingly. It is very unlikely that Amber was the culprit for the following reasons: The judge of the UK libel trial concluded that the offense likely came from their notorious Yorkshire terrier, Boo. Based on evidence, the dog started to have bowels problems when she was still a puppy after she ate a nug of bud that belonged to Johnny: she "had an incomplete mastery of her bowels after she had accidentally consumed some marijuana." The housekeeper would clean up after them occasionally, but when it happened in the bedroom, Amber testified that she herself would clean it up rather than leave that task to the housekeeper. But during this particular discovery, Amber was not present herself as she was at the Coachella festival. At the time of the incident, Johnny and Amber had separated already and lived separately. The bed on which the faeces were found was Amber's bed and her bed only. As she's the only one sleeping on it, the faeces on the bed would have only impacted Amber and not Johnny. She would gain nothing by doing this and would only hurt herself. Furthermore, Johnny has written in a text in October of 2013 (years before the incident) to his former assistant Stephen Deuters suggesting to him to defecate and tell Amber it was the dogs as a prank. He wrote: “Will you squat in front of the door of the master bedroom and leave a giant coil of dookie so that Amber steps in it and thinks that one of the dogs, primarily Boo, has a major problem… It’ll be funny!!!" Edit: OMG, thanks so much for all the awards! I'm glad that people appreciate my efforts. Thanks everyone for posting information and resources about the myths that still need to be debunked. I'll go look into them and add them to the list! Also, the reason I use an alternative account is because I feel safer this way. Since this post is published I'm already getting threats in DMs. Edit2: After posting this I've edited the post many times, adding new information and sources. However, because of character limits in a Reddit post, I had to create a new post for the other debunks. In the post I discussed the following myths: “Johnny can’t be an abuser, people have come forward saying he is a warm, loving, caring man” “Johnny is a southern gentleman who has a lot of respect for women” "Amber is the abuser, she is caught on tape admitting to hitting Johnny" "Amber is the abuser, she is caught on tape mocking Johnny that because he is a man no one would believe him to be a victim of violence" “Amber did not donate her divorce settlement money as promised“ "Amber severed Johnny's finger tip" After posting, I continued editing and adding new debunks in that post, but Reddit has a limit of characters for a post, so I had to make a new post (this one!). If you hadn’t read the previous one, go read it (it is updated with some new information/sources), these are the myths I discussed there: “Amber has a history of abusing her past partners” “Johnny never showed any violent behaviour before” “Johnny’s previous partners never experienced any abuse from him” “Amber stole lines from the movie ‘Talented Mr. Ripley’ during trial” “If Amber was truly abused, she could have left him at any time” “Amber being able to recall every incident in perfect detail is suspicious” “Amber is overacting with the faces she makes while testifying, she can’t possibly be assaulted” “Amber is manipulative for constantly looking at the jury instead of the lawyer asking the questions” “Johnny did not get a fair trial for the UK libel case” “Amber recording him is proof that she already deviously planned to accuse him” “Cosmetic brand proved that Amber lied about using makeup to cover bruises” "Amber defecated on their marital bed" Part 2 starts here: “Johnny can’t be an abuser, people have come forward saying he is a warm, loving, caring man” People are not believed because society has a template of what an abuser looks and acts like. We tend to categorize abuse as something that could not be done by kind, thoughtful, charming, well-liked people. In reality, most abusers are not easy to spot and sometimes they are the people we love. Your own individual experience with someone doesn’t mean you know about what goes on in that person’s relationships with others behind closed doors, especially if the nature of your relation with that person isn’t the same (i.e. you aren’t in a marriage with Johnny recently). Being loving towards you doesn’t prove that someone can’t be abusive towards another person. An abuser isn’t abusive 24/7 all the time towards everyone. They definitely has their tender loving moments and can be charismatic, charming and generous. This is also how Amber has described Johnny when she first met him and fell in love with him. He gifted her a horse among other lavish gifts and did many acts that made her feel loved. It is because of these loving moments that Amber had a hard time leaving him when the abuse started. Multiple witnesses that testified for Amber, including iO Tillet Wright (their common friend/neighbour), all described Johnny as a likeable, charming person when they got to know him, which confirms this warm, loving side of him. However, these same witnesses also testified that alcohol and drugs would bring out a very ugly side of him. This matches Amber’s testimony that under influence the inner “monster” within Johnny would come out. The term monster is actually a term Johnny himself used to describe his state when he was using drugs or alcohol, as can be seen in text messages he sent to a security guard: “We've been perfect. All I had to do was send the monster away and lock him up, we've been happier than ever” and to one of his doctors: “Amber and I have been absolutely perfect ... I have locked my monster child away in a cage deep within and it has fucking worked”. Like what I’ve written in the debunk of another myth, Amber sought to distance herself from the relationship multiple times, but she was drawn back whenever Johnny achieved brief periods sobriety and when the “monster” was subdued. “He said he was embarrassed and sorry, and I believed him, so I got back with him on the condition that he would do the full clean up, the detox, and never go back.” She thought she could help him get completely sober and would accompany him on detox journeys. There are text messages where Johnny says that Amber saved his life and that he wouldn’t made it through detox without her. But he never got completely clean and the abuse continued. “Johnny is a southern gentleman who has a lot of respect for women” That is how Johnny described himself. However, if you look at the texts he writes, who he surrounds himself with and what life choices he made, there is a deep misogyny that lay at the root of his anger, the anger that translates into violence. Let’s take a look at the way he talks about women in texts, which he may or may not have written while under influence: In January 2013, he wrote about Amber: “I'll smack the ugly cunt around before I let her in, don't worry... Did that worthless hooker arrive???” It was during their first year of dating and there was no reason during that time for him to be angry with her, as he testified himself that the first 18 months dating were perfect. According to his testimony, during these 18 months, when he came home, Amber would sit him down, bring him a glass of wine, take his boots off, and bring him dinner. In June 2013, he wrote to his friend Paul Bettany: "Let's drown her before we burn her!!! I will fuck her her burnt corpse afterwards to make sure she is dead." Bettany replied, "My thoughts entirely! Lets be CERTAIN before we pronounce her a witch." When asked about these texts, Bettany said he felt embarrassed and tried to distance himself from Johnny. Depp stans have tried to explain it away by saying that everyone would get angry after being abused and sending such texts is just a way to vent yourself. However, in his own testimony, Johnny claimed the first time she assaulted him was after they got married, during their honeymoon. At the time he wrote those texts, Amber was just his girlfriend and they weren’t married yet, so according to Johnny's testimony "Amber's abuse" couldn't have started back then. The texts weren't sent in response to any abuse he supposedly suffered, but simply because Amber was nagging him for doing drugs (she tried to stop him taking drugs to prevent him to become violent when under influence). Furthermore, even if you want to vent, there is no justification under any circumstances for you to talk about killing your girlfriend, no matter what she said that made you angry. He called his previous partner, Vanessa Paradis, the mother of his children, “French extortionist ex-cunt” in an e-mail to Elton John. He also called her “withering cunt” in other e-mails. He sent a text to Christian Carino, a talent agent who represented both Johnny and Amber, in which he called Amber a “low level, dime a dozen, mushy, pointless dangling overused flappy fish market” and wrote: “I cannot wait to have this waste of a cum guzzler out of my life!!! I met a fucking sublime little Russian here... Which made me realize the time I blew on that 50 cent stripper... I wouldn't touch her with a goddamn glove. I can only hope that karma kicks in and takes the gift of breath from her…”. This was sent in August 2016, after she filed for divorce and got a restraining order against him. After their split, he texted in October 2016 to his longtime friend and neighbour Isaach Baruch: “Is the slippery whore that I donated my jizz to for awhile staying there”, “Hopefully that cunt’s rotting corpse is decomposing in the fucking trunk of a Honda Civic”. This text was read aloud in court and both Johnny and Isaach confirmed the existence of this text exchange. He wrote to his assistant Stephen Deuters: “Molly’s pussy is RIGHTFULLY MINE!!! Should I not just bust in and remove its hinges tonight??? I want to change her understanding of what it is like to be thrashed about like a pleading Mackrel… I NEED. I WANT. I TAKE”. This text was read aloud in court and when confronted with it, Johnny said he didn’t write it and made up an excuse “someone probably took my phone and sent it”. Amber testified: "He started saying things like 'well I'm going to have to watch you get raped' and 'I hope you get railed by a bunch of fking fellas.' "Sometimes he used racial epithets about the men I would be – or deserved to be – assaulted by, saying things like 'a slimy Mexican' or 'a fucking gang of big black mother fkers are going to fk you and get their big ck in you.'" She also said that Johnny would insult her looks: “His verbal abuse was often sexualised, but it was also about my looks and related to my work, saying things like 'no one will hire you when your t*ts and ass sag' or calling me 'fat ass'. In audio recordings we can hear him call her “fat ass” and “cunt” iO Tilette Wright, their common friend, testified that Johnny said to him: "All she's got is her looks and she has no talent, and when her tits start to sag and her face gets wrinkly, nobody is going to be interested in her for anything, so she better figure out another way to survive." Johnny’s frequent usage of the terms “hookers” and “whores” in texts is not the only indicative of his misogyny, if you look at his past relationships, he always seem to prey on girls much younger than him: Winona Ryder was still a minor, 17 years old, when he started dating her at age 26 Kate Moss was 20 and he 31 Vanessa Paradis was 25 and he 35 Amber was 22 and he 44 Polina Glen, a Russian “go-go dancer”, who was just 22 and he was 54 Misogynists use women’s bodies to bond with other men. Patriarchy is homoerotic and Johnny's entire group of friends are all old creepy men like himself. These types usually use the women they are with for "status". Hence his repulsive texts with his "friends" talking about Heard's body. Other than the corpse rape text above, Bettany also wrote to Johnny in 2014: “We buy Amber a toy beaver and we could picture you shaving the beaver and we could set up a website called Amber Heard’s beaver and make a f**k ton of money. Sell advertising space. Clearly there are many spinoffs, you could coke, toke, punch..." Johnny’s other friends include Marilyn Manson (accused by multiple women for abuse) and Roman Polanski (convicted child rapist). His hero is Hunter S Thompson, who was charged with violent sexual assault and accused of emotional abuse by family members. Besides misogyny, Johnny also seems to be homophobic and transphobic. He had used abusive language towards Amber for her sexuality and her past relationship with women, calling her a “lesbian camp counsellor”. He was also jealous of Amber’s female ex, Tasya van Ree, calling her “Van Pee”, he also tried to set fire to one of Tasya’s paintings. He attacked their common friend, iO Tillet Wright, by misgendering him and mocking his transition, calling him a “dike bitch” and “wanting to be a man now”. "Amber is the abuser, she is caught on tape admitting to hitting Johnny" An edited audio clip, recorded by Johnny, Amber is heard saying “I didn’t punch you. I was hitting you, it was not punching you”. This clip is used widely as proof that Amber is the abuser. Let’s take a look at the context of this recording. The recording is made in September 2015, which means they have been together for more than 3 years at the time. According to Amber the abuse started around end of 2012 or early 2013, at that point she would have been suffering from abuse for years already. Over the years abuse victims often change the way they react while trying to survive in a chaotic and dangerous environment. In the beginning, after every assault he committed under influence, Johnny would profusely apologise afterwards when sober and Amber would forgive him. There are text messages supporting this, Johnny writes: "Once again I find myself in a place of shame and regret. Of course, I am sorry. I really don't know why, or what happened. But I will never do it again … My illness somehow crept up and grabbed me … I must get better. And I will. For us both. Starting today. I love you. Again, I am so sorry. So sorry." Amber explained that she tried many ways to diffuse the arguments, but the cycle of outbursts then apologies then more outbursts continued no matter what she did. "In these fights, I would try to stand up for myself. By December 2014, I was pushing back, I'd push him off me, I tried to hit his hands away. I tried to always get back up, which would almost always made it worse, always seemed to provoke him. But I tried. I would yell at him, scream at him. I'd call him ugly names. So ashamed of the names we'd call each other. It was awful. And we both got into that pattern. I felt so angry that this was happening to me, and it just felt so unfair. Nothing I did made him stop hitting me. Nothing. I tried for over a year, maybe two, of just not responding physically, not responding verbally, just staring at him. I tried to freeze, I tried going to a different place. I would try then lashing out verbally. I would try to threaten that if he hit me again that I would call the police. I tried to do everything. I even threatened to leave him — tried to leave him. Nothing was working. And I think by this point in our relationship, we're both saying awful things to each other, screaming at each other and, unfortunately, when Johnny would start hitting me, he'd just win.” This struggle Amber had with dealing with his violence matches with what their marriage counsellor, Dr. Lauren Anderson, said. Anderson testified that Amber told her “she felt she had to hit him back if he hit her so she always did.” In the recording Amber is making the distinction between a “punch” and a “hit.” She testified about the disparity between Johnny and her in their physical fights. “He would proactively punch me, and I would have to resort to reactively hitting him. I am talking about the difference between a punch, which Johnny did often, and having to hit him in my defence.” Why she tries to make a point about the disparity is because we can’t ignore the power dynamics at play. The fact of the matter is that Amber is weaker than Johnny physically (and also socially, financially). While it’s easy to reduce the equation of their relationship to ‘equal blows’, Johnny has always stood to gain a great deal more over Amber than she’s stood to gain over him by enacting abuse in the relationship. Let’s examine the likely outcome of the same act of abuse when enacted by both parties. It is true that Amber raising a hand against Johnny could be abuse, but the power dynamics between them (Johnny’s greater physical size and strength, as well as his greater social influence over those around them at the time) meant that Johnny raising his hand against Amber would have resulted in a greater threat against her physical safety when compared to his. His acts of abuse will have, by nature of their power imbalance, been more dangerous. The same goes when examining physical violence between caregivers and children. Children are not only smaller physically and weaker in strength than their caregivers but they sit at a significant disadvantage when it comes to their social influence and cognitive abilities as well. It is for this reason that a child raising a hand against their caregiver is simply not as dangerous as a caregiver raising a hand against a child. Ultimately, it is the power imbalance between two parties which ultimately makes one more vulnerable and the other a greater threat within the relationship. As explained hitting back doesn’t make one an abuser. You need to have the power to be able to abuse it. An abusive relationship depends upon a pre-existing structural power imbalance that puts one partner in a superior position over the other and gives him/her the power to abuse. In other words, you abuse your partner by abusing the power you have over the partner. Amber never had the power in the relationship to be the abuser. The power imbalance is not only physically, back then she was just a young (22 years old) relatively unknown actress, while Johnny was twice her age (44 years old) with a long well-established career and greater influence/wealth/fame/fanbase. It is impossible for her to be the one in control in a relationship with someone clearly so much more powerful. Johnny had surrounded Amber with people who are on his payroll, this includes his multiple security guards, nurses and doctors. Even if she wanted, Amber could never truly physically harm Johnny without his guards intervening. On the other hand, his guards never intervened when Johnny abused her. Their friend/neighbor Josh Drew testified that Jerry Judge, one of the security guard, asked him ‘Is she OK?’ and he responded with 'Are you fucking kidding me? He beat the shit out of her again and you guys stood by and watched.” Johnny also used his medical staff to keep her her sedated to "keep her under control." It is also notable that in these recordings in which she admits to hitting him, she owns up to her acts and apologises to him, while he continues to call her names and gaslights her. Her admitting to resorting to violence in self-defense, about having screaming fights and saying horrible things, shows her honesty and makes her sound more credible and trustworthy. In contrast, Johnny claims to be a perfect person who never ever hit any women, not once, not even in self-defense. This is actually one of the characteristics of DARVO, namely “denying abuse completely”. Someone who uses DARVO often also go on to say that their victim was the “real abuser” and they were the “real victim”. The acts of self-defense by their victims is used by abusers to make the abused look like the abuser. Johnny released these edited audio tapes through his minion Adam Waldman to the media and used a bot network to create the narrative that Amber is the abuser. Experts have expressed concerns that this trial is offering abusers a way to exert their power over victims. "Amber is the abuser, she is caught on tape mocking Johnny that because he is a man no one would believe him to be a victim of violence" In an edited audio tape that is recorded by Johnny and had been shared widely on social media, it sounded like Amber was mocking Johnny that no one would believe him because he is a man, and many people consider it to be a strong evidence of Amber being the abuser. But if you go listen to the actual full audio recording, here is the transcript, it is obvious the whole quote is taken out of context and the ‘because you're a man' line doesn't exist at all. Let's take a look at the context of this recording first. Throughout their relationship Amber never called the cops, never said anything to the press or anyone else about the abuse to protect Johnny. She kept silent despite suffering all those abuse. It only went public, because of the last accident (in May 2016) when he grabbed her phone from her, while she was on a call with iO Tillet Wright, and threw the phone at her face. iO heard her scream and called the cops. He testified about this. Multiple witnesses, including Raquel Pennington, Josh Drew, Elizabeth Marz all testified seeing bruises on her face right after this incident. Around a week later, iO wrote this story why he called 911 (he never mentioned any names). When the cops arrived, she didn't collaborate and didn't give them any statements for them to arrest Johnny, because she was still protecting him. In this recording they are talking about that incident and you can hear that Johnny is angry that she involved the police. She tried to explain that she had to do that, because in a prior incident (the one in December 2015) it went so far that she feared for her life, she was scared he would kill her by accident. As you can hear in the recording, Johnny doesn't deny that it happened nor feel sorry about it. Instead he counters by saying he lost a finger and had things thrown at him as if that compensates it, makes it equal, makes it comparable, makes it a fair fight, makes him an abuse victim as well. That's why Amber responded with the infamous words "You can please tell people that it was a fair fight, and see what the jury and judge thinks. Tell the world, Johnny, tell them Johnny Depp, I Johnny Depp, I’m a victim too of domestic violence, and see how many people believe or side with you." It was never a fair fight for Amber, he was stronger and bigger than her, and when he assaulted her, she could never defend herself physically on equal grounds, only by throwing things at him to try to stop him from hitting her. That's why she continued with: "Exactly because you’re big, you’re bigger and you’re stronger. So when I say that I thought you would kill me that doesn’t mean you can counter with you also lost your own finger. I'm just trying to point out the fact of why I said 'call 911'. Because you had your hands on me after you threw a phone at my face. And it's got crazy in the past, and I truly thought I had to stop this madness before I got hurt." “Amber did not donate her divorce settlement money as promised“ After suffering abuse and staying silent about it for many years, in 2016 Amber finally managed to leave him, filed for divorce and fearing for her safety she applied for a restraining order against him. She never wanted to expose the abuse to protect him, but in order to get a TRO, she had to give testimony and provide evidence/witnesses. That is how the abuse claims came into light. He then accused her of claiming abuse for financial gain. She disputed this claim by vowing to donate all the money she received from the divorce: ”As described in the restraining order and divorce settlement, money played no role for me personally and never has, except to the extent that I could donate it to charity and, in doing so, hopefully help those less able to defend themselves. As reported in the media, the amount received in the divorce was $7 million and $7 million is being donated. This is over and above any funds that I have given away in the past and will continue to give away in the future.” She decided to donate to 2 organizations, with $3.5 million for each: “The donation will be divided equally between the ACLU, with a particular focus to stop violence against women, and the Children's Hospital of Los Angeles, where I have worked as a volunteer for the past 10 years alongside organizations like the Art of Elysium. Over the years, I have seen firsthand how more funding for staffing, better equipment and better medication can make the difference between life or death for a child." ACLU: testified that the pledge agreement calls for Amber to donate the $3.5 million to their organisation through instalments over a period of ten years, not in one lump sum. ACLU testified they have already received $1.3 million from Amber or on her behalf. They also said they have no indication that Amber does not intend to pay the rest of her pledged donation: “I’m not aware of any indication that Ms. Heard has decided to no longer pay additional amounts.” They also issued a post where they show their support for Amber. CHLA: testified that she paid $250k as of today, and they listed her in the Honor Roll of Donors for the hospital. CHLA also said that her currently not having donated the full amount isn't a problem at all and that they would welcome her future installments. The reason she paid her pledge in instalments is because she was receiving her divorce settlement in instalments. In the pledge, the ten year period would start in August 2016, meaning she still has the time till 2026 to complete her full donation. Her lawyer said: “Amber has already been responsible for seven figures in donations to charitable causes and intends to continue to contribute and eventually fulfill her pledge. However, Amber has been delayed in that goal because Mr. Depp filed a lawsuit against her, and consequently, she has been forced to spend millions of dollars defending Mr. Depp’s false accusations against her.” In the trial it is revealed that Amber already had to pay $6 million in legal fees. Multiple people, including this person, who have long-time experience in fundraising have come forward to explain that it is actually standard practice for all donations above millions to be paid in instalments over a 10 years period. As explained here, a pledge can be used as a synonym for “donation” and these terms are interchangeable to fundraisers. If someone pledges 25 million over 10 years, all 25 million would be acknowledged and record it it as 25 million in new money before receiving the full amount. That's why Amber is listed in CHLA's Honor Roll of Donors for donations between $1-5 million range, even though she hasn't completed the full amount yet. "Amber severed Johnny's finger tip" When Johnny and Amber were staying in Australia in March 2015, the tip of Johnny’s right middle finger was severed. Johnny claims that Amber threw a vodka bottle at him that caused the injury, Amber denies this. Johnny doesn't provide any evidence to back up his claim. On the other hand, there are many evidences that points towards Johnny being the one who cut his own finger when under heavy influence of drugs and alcohol: In an audio recording he admits to cutting his own finger: “I’m talking about Australia. The day I chopped my finger off”. In multiple private text messages to three separate people, including Dr. Kipper (his doctor), Stephen Deuters (his assistant), Raquel Pennington (Amber’s friend and their penthouse neighbour) he writes that he cut off his own finger. For example in this message to Dr. Kipper, he is heavily swearing at Amber, accusing her of all kind of things (being venomous, demeaning, belittling towards him, using him for success and fame etc.) and doesn't sound like he is protecting her from getting into troubles for hurting him, yet he still maintain that he himself cut off his own finger. The emergency room staff that attended him at the emergency room, Dr Grant noted: ‘He sustained an injury to his right middle finger tonight after accidentally cutting it with a kitchen knife.” The doctor noted: “the injury is more proximately suggestive [of] a crushing mechanism.” The doctor also noted that patient was under influence and not coherent. In emails after the incident, Dr. Michael Kalamaras (May 4, 2015) and from Dr. David Kulber (June 27, 2015), it is referenced that he sustained a “crushing injury”. Never did the story about a bottle ever come into play Dr Richard Moore, an Orthopedic Hand Surgeon, who analysed the clinical photographs and doctor notes confirmed his injuries don’t match with his story. There was no damage to the fingernail that would be expected from an injury when the finger was struck by a bottle. There are also no glass found in the wound, which is not possible if hit by a bottle. The doctor testified that the injury was more consistent with the finger being squeezed between two hard surfaces. Amber, who weighed around 100lbs during the relationship, would never have been able to throw a bottle with the speed, force or accuracy to dismember a finger. When you sustain such an injury, any sane person would grab the piece of fingertip that was broken off and go seek medical help in the hospital immediately. In Johnny’s case, he was in such unhinged, intoxicated state that he didn’t care about medical care (according to Dr. Kipper’s notes he delayed his trip to the hospital for many hours) and wasn't even sure where his finger tip was (Dr. Kipper, nurse Debbie Lloyd testified they had to search the entire house for it, and it was eventually found in the kitchen by house manager Ben King, who also testified about it). Instead he spent his time writing messages on the bathroom mirror to Amber with his blood and when that wasn’t enough he dipped in paint and continued writing (he admitted to writing these messages).