Johnny Depp's Defamation Case With 'Amber Turd' and #MePoo

21/04/2022

When enough is enough, courtroom battles may seem to be the only way out to solve disputes and other things.

But sometimes, that cannot happen without some drama.

And that is exceptionally true, when it considers one of Hollywood's biggest stars, Johnny Depp, and his ex-wife, Amber Heard.

In a session at the court, Depp testified that his small dogs were not responsible for the fecal matter found on his shared bed with Amber Heard.

With so much publicity surrounding the legal battle, people were expressing their opinions, making the case gone viral, and sparked even memes and a vandalized page of at least one Wikipedia article, and also a new entry in the Urban Dictionary list.

So many on the internet began labelling Amber Heard as "Amber Turd," with that many people sided with Depp.

The hashtags being used include #MePoo and #JusticeForJohnnyDepp.

Johnny Depp and Amber Heard
Johnny Depp and Amber Heard when they were still a couple.

It all began in 2011, when Depp met Heard while making the 2011 movie The Rum Diary.

They married in 2015, and broke up in 2016, when Heard sought a domestic violence restraining order against him, accusing him of abusing her.

Depp denied the claims, and the former couple settled their divorce out of court in August 2016.

Then in December 2018, a The Washington Post essay written by Heard, was published. Through the article, she accused the actor of domestic violence, defaming Depp.

Heard did not name Depp in the article, but Depp's side said that the article was obvious, and it was certain the he was the evident target of the piece.

Initially, Depp denied the allegations against him, and continuously denied as more defamations were thrown at him.

Most famously was in 2020, when Depp sued British outlet The Sun for labelling him a "wife beater."

Depp filed a lawsuit against Heard, claiming that the article had damaged his career.

It was said that because of the article, Depp was "asked to resign" from Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore, in which he was set to reprise his role as Gellert Grindelwald.

Because of that, Deep asked for at least $50 million in compensatory damages and a punitive award of at least $350,000, along with attorneys' fees and court costs.

He also alleged Heard was not the victim of the abuse, and claimed that Heard was actually the "perpetrator" of abuse in their relationship and her accusations were part of an "elaborate hoax to generate positive publicity."

Hearing this, Heard went on to countersue the Pirates of the Caribbean star in August 2020, in response to Depp's attorney Adam Waldman telling media outlets her domestic violence allegations were "fake" and a "sexual violence hoax."

Heard countersued for $100 million for nuisance, with her legal team set to argue that the op-ed was a matter of public interest and she should therefore be protected from a defamation suit.

She stated that she was telling the truth, and that her opinion was protected by free speech.

Then one day, testifying in a Fairfax, Virginia, courthouse, Depp said that after he and Heard had an argument at her birthday party back in April 2016.

Depp then expressed a desire to retrieve his belongings from their home while she was at the Coachella festival.

However, he said, his security guard, Sean Bett, advised against it.

"I had received some news," the actor said. "I was shown a picture of what the problem was.

"I had gone to Mr. Bett and said, 'She's at Coachella. I think it's a good time to go downtown so that I can get some of my things and get them out of there,' especially things that were precious to me [...] and he said, 'I don't think now's a good time to go.' And I thought, 'It's the perfect time. She's not going to be home for two days.'"

"Then he showed me a photograph on his telephone of [...] it was a photograph of our bed, and on my side of the bed, was human fecal matter."

"I understood why it wasn't a good time to go down there," he continued. "My initial response to that was, I mean... I laughed. It was so outside. It was so bizarre and so grotesque that I could only laugh. So I did not go down there that day."

Depp testified that when he encountered the foreign matter on his bed, he divorced with Heard soon afterward.

Depp was amused, and seemed to contain his laughter as he went on to allege that Aquaman star Heard "tried to blame it on the dogs."

"They're teacup Yorkies," Deep said, as he tried to explain why he didn't believe the dogs were at fault.

"They weigh about 4 pounds each. The photograph that I saw - I lived with those dogs for many years. It was not the dogs... I didn't feel like I deserved that kind of treatment."

Because of all that, Johnny Depp and Amber Heard's tumultuous marriage is back in the spotlight.

The trial that went viral, not only include the actor's testimony regarding his ex-wife's excrements, but also his other testimonies regarding other details.

For example, people were amused by Depp's reactions on hearing an audio recording of Heard admitting that she hit him.

Among others, Deep was shown being a "savage" when he exchanged with Heard's lawyer Ben Rottenborn, especially when Depp's testimony was interrupted several times by Rottenborn raising the objection of "hearsay" to the actor's claims.

As the video shows, Depp repeatedly attempted to refer to the "hearsay," "out-of-court" statements, during his testimony, prompting Rottenborn to repeatedly raise his objections.

Depp was able to create some humor out of the situation to many people's amusement.

People said that Depp was able cracking jokes when some people would break from pure irritation alone.

Johnny Depp, the famous actor and a multitalented persona, is known for being an alcoholic and a drug user. But despite that, he claimed to have never physically violent towards women.

While testifying in Virginia's Fairfax County Circuit Court, the actor said that the allegations were all false.

"Nothing of the kind had ever happened," Depp told the jury. "Though [in] the relationship there were arguments and things of that nature...but never did I, myself, reach the point of striking Miss Heard in any way. Nor have I ever struck any woman in my life."

"I am obsessed with the truth," he continued. "Today is...actually the first opportunity that I've been able to speak about this case in full."

Depp went on to testify that his former wife had instead subjected him to "physical abuse" that was "constant."

He also accused Heard of "bullying" himself and others.

"There was quite a lot of verbal abuse, there was quite a lot of name-calling," said Depp. "Bullying. You know, making fun of whatever defect one might have [...] My brother wore glasses, so of course, he was 'four eyes.'"

Among the many who stood with Johnny Depp beyond strangers on the internet, include his former partner Vanessa Paradis, many of his co-stars and friends.

Amber Heard, Amber Turd
Amber Heard during the trial (right), and her alleged turd she left on the bed she shared with Johnny Depp (left)

As a professional actor, Depp was like bringing his Jack Sparrow character out.

Another thing that made this case viral, was Heard's choice of clothing.

In more than a couple of days, Heard was seen wearing a series of menswear suits with some viewers speculating that she was copying her former husband's sartorial choices.

For example, on April 13, Heard wore a fitted, double-breasted blazer and necktie combo to court. The tie featured a small embroidered bee on the front.

Depp wore the exact same Gucci tie featuring the small embroidered bee previously, on the first day of the trial.

Others pointed out that Heard donned a grey suit and black shirt, a combination that was previously worn by Depp.

Heard also wore her hair in a ponytail the day after Depp wore his hair in a ponytail to court.

It's worth noting that at the court, it was revealed that Heard once said that:

"Tell the world I Johnny Depp, a man, am a victim of domestic violence and see how many people believe or side with you."

And this case here, is exactly what happened.

Read: The 'Never Fear Truth' NFT By Johnny Depp

Johnny Depp
Johnny Depp greets his fans who waited for him in front of the Courthouse grounds.

Because the trial received so much public attention, Judge Azcarate had made some precautions.

For example, she ordered that neither Depp or Heard could "pose for pictures or sign autographs in the Courthouse or on Courthouse grounds," or be found in contempt of court and "punished accordingly."

She also ordered that there "will be no overnight camping on Courthouse grounds" and "all spectators are expected to dress in a manner consistent with the decorum of a judicial proceeding."

What's more, chewing gum, food and beverages are also prohibited inside the courtroom.

"Audible comments of any kind during the court proceedings or provocative or uncivil behavior within the courtroom or courthouse will not be tolerated," the document added. "There shall be no gestures, facial expressions, or the like, suggesting approval or disapproval during the proceedings. Anyone violating this Order will be expelled immediately from the courtroom and will not be able to return during the pendency of the trial."

Outside, fans of Depp gathered, holding signs that read messages like "Justice for Johnny."

As for Heard, she wrote on Instagram that she will be avoiding social media until after the trial, thanking her followers for their support.

She said, in part, "Hopefully when this case concludes, I can move on and so can Johnny. I have always maintained a love for Johnny and it brings me great pain to have to live out the details of our past life together in front of the world. At this time, I recognize the ongoing support I've been fortunate to receive throughout these years, and in these coming weeks I will be leaning on it more than ever."

Further reading: Johnny Depp Defamation Case, And How He Becomes The 'First Man To Win An Argument With A Woman'