When something gets so much media exposure, that thing will get so many viewership and many people that put interest in it.
The same goes to Johnny Depp's defamation trial with his ex-wife Amber Heard.
Having being one of the most publicized defamation case in modern history, thanks to the internet that allow anyone to live stream the case from anywhere around the globe, the case has created its own social media fandom.
While this is a good thing for Depp, who is a celebrity, this is also bad since people are also utilizing the trend to benefit their own.
Many malicious actors are piggybacking Depps' new fame he received through winning his defamation trial, to create fake accounts that can cause harm.
For this reason, the actor was forced to clarify his online presence, by issuing a warning to fans after his social media fandom grew.
“I’ve been made aware that there are fake accounts pretending to be me or people working with me,” he wrote.
“I do not have any private or side accounts on any platforms. These are the only pages run by me and my team where we share updates and communicate: Instagram @JohnnyDepp TikTok @JohnnyDepp Facebook @JohnnyDepp Discord @JohnnyDepp0854.”
He also urged his fans to "remain cautious as it seems these fake accounts can be relentless".
"My team is working to combat the problem,” Depp wrote.
"Thank you for your continued support and for making me aware of this issue! Love & respect, JD xx."
The Pirates of the Caribbean star amassed millions and millions of followers within just 24 hours of posting his first TikTok video.
Before that, he reached more than three million followers without sharing a single video.
Johnny Depp vs. Amber Heard was a civil defamation trial in Fairfax County, Virginia.
In the trial that began on April 11 and ended on June 1, 2022, the plaintiff, actor Johnny Depp, alleged three counts of defamation against defendant Amber Heard, each claiming $50 million in damages. In response, actress Heard filed a counterclaim against Depp, and claimed damages of $100 million.
As one of the high-profile case, the trial was livestreamed, and drew so much attention from both supporters of Depp and Heard, as well as the general public.
At first, many suggested that Depp had a weaker chance of winning, considering that in the U.S., the free speech protections are strong.
But in the end, the ruling concluded that it was actually Heard who had defamed Depp, and awarded Depp with $10 million in compensatory damages and $5 million in punitive damages from Heard. The punitive damages were reduced to $350,000 due to a limit imposed by Virginia state law.
As for Heard's counterclaim, the jury found that one of the three statements by Depp's lawyer had defamed Heard with actual malice, and thus awarded $2 million in compensatory damages and zero in punitive damages to Heard from Depp.
Read: Johnny Depp Defamation Case, And How He Becomes The 'First Man To Win An Argument With A Woman'