Edward Scissorhands, Pirates of the Caribbean, Dark Shadows, Sweeney Todd, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Alice in Wonderland, Sleepy Hollow – the list goes on. All these beloved movies have one thing in common: Johnny Depp. Known as a versatile actor with a fun-loving and wholesome personality, the actor was met with accusations of abuse from the Aquaman actor of Mera- and Depp’s former wife- Amber Heard in 2016. The tables took a while to turn but nevertheless, in April 2022, Johnny took matters to court after being dropped from the majority of his movie and fashion deals.
Their story starts all the way from back in 2013 with the first hints of abuse. However, it was later in 2018 that the situation started to escalate. In 2018, Amber wrote an op-ed piece for The Washington Post stating: “I spoke up against sexual violence — and faced our culture’s wrath. That has to change.” She said, “I became a public figure representing domestic abuse, and I felt the full force of our culture’s wrath for women who speak out.” Although the article did not specifically mention Johnny by name, his lawyers claimed that the article had still accused him and put him in the spotlight. It was this write-up that instigated Johnny’s defamation lawsuit against Amber in 2019.
In the op-ed, Amber went on to say, “In recent years, the #MeToo movement has taught us about how power like this works, not just in Hollywood but in all kinds of institutions—workplaces, places of worship, or simply in particular communities. In every walk of life, women are confronting these men who are buoyed by social, economic, and cultural power. And these institutions are beginning to change.”
Throughout all the claims of abuse, Johnny kept on denying all accusations. He maintained that Amber’s claim that she was a victim of domestic abuse at his hands was a sham. If proven, it would be a major setback for the #MeToo sexual witch-hunt.
In the #MeToo era, charges of sexual harassment are to be accepted without question, regardless of proof to the contrary or the fact that the only “facts” offered are those presented by the accuser.
Unsubstantiated and salacious allegations of sexual or physical abuse have been picked up by the celebrity gossip press and hysterical middle-class types, and used to toss basic democratic rights, such as those protected by the Fourth and Sixth Amendments, out the window in this witch-hunting atmosphere.
Johnny has major emotional troubles, as he revealed on the stand. He stated it was the closest he had ever gone to a mental collapse during the heated event in Australia. Amber’s defense team is using these facts, as well as his history of drug and alcohol misuse, to undercut Johnny’s credibility and further discredit him publicly.
Johnny is in a terrible predicament as a result of the #MeToo world of unconfirmed hearsay and speculation. He has never been charged with a crime, let alone convicted of one, but he has been placed on a partial blacklist as a result of his ex’s remarks. In this situation, how does he, or anyone else, defend themselves?
Social media, on the other hand, is clearly siding with Johnny. With images of Amber’s bruised knuckles surfacing from the 2021 L’Oreal Paris Fashion Week and memes about her acting skills going viral. It is mentionable that when she took the runway in 2021, her bruises were strategically covered. What makes Amber’s claim look far shadier is when Milani Cosmetics posted a TikTok disproving Amber using their color correction kit to cover up her bruises.
It is undeniable that Amber made a name for herself as a representation of women who have been abused.
With her being vocal about her alleged experience and stating to donate half of the $7 million dollars to the Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, and the other half to the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), Amber became a spokesperson for survivors of domestic abuse. Not only that, her role as Mera has been nothing short of success. Meanwhile, Johnny, who kept denying all claims of abuse and still continues to do so, was boycotted by Hollywood and is now going to appear in director Maiwenn’s next film.
As #JusticeForJohnny is going viral and most of the internet sides with Johnny, the TV spectacle continues, filled with heartbreaking tears as well as funny moments as Johnny relives his trauma.
The entire ordeal does bring to light some questions –
What does this say about cancel culture?
Was the media sheltering Amber?
Was the world too quick to judge Johnny?
Is it society’s mob mentality to side with the women in cases of domestic abuse without proper evidence?
Despite allegations of Amber being abusive and Johnny being the victim in 2021, why did Amber continue to thrive in her career?
Amber’s apparent lies had made things even more complicated for female abuse victims. Statistically, false rape complaints range from 2 to 10% around the world. While it’s not necessarily the case that women are victims and men are perpetrators in every case of assault, sexual or otherwise, women coming forward with claims of abuse will now have another, potentially major, obstacle to overcome in the form of getting characterized as another Amber Heard. Furthermore, people who have attempted to defend Heard online have been regularly attacked online, with their accounts often being mass reported. If they are women, then they are also subjected to an additional dose of misogynist attacks.
Men’s Rights Activists are referring to Heard as being a textbook example of ‘toxic femininity, which is their answer to the ‘toxic masculinity’ trope which became prominent in social and feminist discourse in the last decade.
While this stance has its merits, it is likely to lead to over-reactions on both ends of the spectrum: staunch MRAs and MGTOWs (Men Going Their Own Way) may argue that many women who make rape allegations actually consented to intercourse but later had regrets, or, going a step further, that women are, by nature, deceitful liars, while some feminists may continue to support Amber Heard purely on principle because her being a liar makes it ‘bad for women’ in general.
One thing is for sure. The Johnny Depp-Amber Heard trial is a mess. And almost no one is going to come out a winner once it ends.