While people on the internet may have little to less power when it comes to changing real things in real life, they can certainly make themselves heard when they come in huge masses.
One example, is when fans of actor Johnny Depp have signed an online petition on Change.org to remove actress Amber Heard from the cast of Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom, the thirteenth film in the DC Extended Universe (DCEU), the sequel of the 2018 Aquaman.
Through the petition that has been signed by millions of people, fans of Depp want the executives at Warner Bros. Entertainment to "do the right thing."
This happens amid Johnny Depp's defamation case against her.
Read: Johnny Depp's Defamation Case With 'Amber Turd' And #MePoo
The petition writes that "Amber Heard has been exposed as a domestic abuser by Johnny Depp."
It also alleges that since the couple's divorce, Heard "has systematically crusaded to ruin Depp in Hollywood, repeating multiple accounts of fake incidents in which she had actually abused Johnny Depp, but lied and created false accounts of him being the abuser."
As the third week of the tumultuous trial ends, the petition wants Heard to be eliminated from portraying the character "Mera," Aquaman’s love interest in the franchise.
The protest, organized by author and artist Jeanne Larson, doesn’t want to see Heard's alleged behavior against the Pirates of the Caribbean star "glamorized" on camera.
She went on to say that Heard allegedly punched her then-husband in the face, citing “several incidences of domestic abuse.” She also alluded to the purported event in which Heard allegedly severed Depp’s fingertip with a vodka bottle.
"About the incident during which she shattered the bones in Johnny Depp’s finger and nearly severed it, causing Depp to require surgery to reattach and repair it," Larson wrote of the allegations.
"He [Johnny Depp] will bear the scar from that for the rest of his life."
"Men are victims of domestic abuse, just like women. This must be recognized, and action must be taken to prevent a known abuser from being celebrated within the entertainment industry," she claimed.
While some of Depp's fans would certainly sign the petition because of what Heard allegedly done to him, others see this petition as a retaliation for Disney’s decision to withdraw Depp from the fifth Pirates of the Caribbean film after Heard accused him of sexual misconduct.
It was in 2018, after the couple's split, Heard wrote an op-ed for The Washington Post where she described herself as a victim of domestic abuse, while never naming the actor.
Depp is suing Heard over the article, accusing the actress of physical and verbal abuse against him.
Heard has denied the allegations and countersued, alleging that Depp physically abused her while under the influence of drugs or alcohol.
A former Depp agent testified on that the mental stress of Heard’s assault allegations cost him the film franchise.
At the defamation trial, Depp demands at least $50 million in damages. In addition, he is also seeking $350,000 in punitive damages, as well as attorneys’ fees and court costs.
Meanwhile, Heard is seeking $100 million from Depp.
And this petition here, was made in 2020, after Depp was removed from his role in the Fantastic Beasts franchise.
Depp "was asked to resign" days after he lost a libel case against the publishers of The Sun over an article that described him as a "wife-beater."
The petition has a goal of three million signatures.
Change.org noted on the page that if the petition reaches its goal, it should be amongst the top-ever signed protests on the website. It didn't take long before the target has been achieved.
As for Heard, her side dismissed the petition.
"Paid rumors and paid campaigns on social media don’t dictate because they have no basis in reality," wrote the statement. "Only the fans actually made Aquaman and Aquaman 2 happen. I’m excited to get started next year.”
Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom finished filming in January 2022, which makes Heard a character included in the film. But just like any other films, reshoots are always a possibility.
The film's release data is Marcy 17, 2023.