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Hi, I’m a sociology grad student focusing on domestic violence. Here’s why I believe Amber Heard and why I disagree with so much of this trial.
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1. The evidence. There is overwhelming evidence that Amber was a victim of domestic violence. I’ll link some of that below.
Here’s a thread compiling mountains of evidence supporting Amber Heard’s claims. https://twitter.com/a_h_reaume/status/1531305913667100672
Here’s the UK court judgment in which the court found that Johnny Depp did, in fact, physically abuse Amber Heard on 12 of the 14 incidents in question. The judge also concluded Depp cut his own finger.
https://www.judiciary.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/Judgment-FINAL.pdf
https://www.judiciary.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/Judgment-FINAL.pdf
Here’s a very thorough timeline of Amber Heard and Johnny Depp’s relationship. https://twitter.com/drugproblem/status/1517264284195033088
Here’s another great thread of evidence compiled by @RottenInDenmark. https://twitter.com/RottenInDenmark/status/1528020677651009536
Here’s a thread by a professional domestic violence researcher and coercive control expert @DrEmmaKatz in which she analyzes the trial and explains typical victim behaviors vs. typical abuser behaviors. https://twitter.com/DrEmmaKatz/status/1531353861612523526
2. The precedent. This case sets a dangerous standard for how domestic violence is understood. It discourages future victims from coming forward and emboldens abusers to use the legal system as yet another method for inflicting harm.
Here’s a short thread about how this trial and verdict impacts the concept of free speech, particularly for domestic violence victims. https://twitter.com/MoiraDonegan/status/1532080686483525633
Here’s a great article by @brosandprose about how this case will continue to harm domestic violence survivors in the future. https://www.patreon.com/posts/johnny-depp-will-66607327
Here’s a short thread I shared previously about how the Depp v. Heard case is detrimental to free speech and victims’ rights. https://twitter.com/kellyblaus/status/1530350926350934017
3. The message. The publicity surrounding this trial and the misinformation spread on social media have sent harmful messages about domestic violence: that it’s a joke, that it’s a money grab, that it can be exploited for personal gain.
Here’s a great piece by @annamerlan about the online commodification of domestic violence in the Depp v. Heard trial. https://www.vice.com/en/article/epxyn4/youtube-tiktok-johnny-depp-amber-heard-trial
Here’s an article by @MonicaLewinsky about how we, as a culture, have turned domestic violence (and this case in particular) into a form of entertainment. https://www.vanityfair.com/style/2022/05/monica-lewinskys-verdict-on-the-johnny-depp-amber-heard-trial
Here’s an article about how the trial has been turned into a meme and how that harms other survivors of domestic violence. https://www.nbcnews.com/pop-culture/pop-culture-news/amber-heard-johnny-depp-trial-memes-chilling-effect-victims-domestic-a-rcna28572
Here are some photos showing how the ‘memeification’ of the trial has not only infiltrated social media but also extended beyond the digital world and into daily life. This contributes to the normalization of domestic violence in our culture, portraying it as something funny.
Those are some of my general thoughts and the things that have informed my opinions of the case. I’ll continue to add to this thread as I come across more information or other articles I find worthy of sharing.
Here’s a thread by @knowyourIX about how defamation cases are often used to silence survivors. https://twitter.com/knowyourIX/status/1532122403534430208
Here’s a great thread about the far-reaching consequences of the Depp v. Heard trial written by @brosandprose (I linked a similar article from this author earlier in this thread). https://twitter.com/brosandprose/status/1526939945067286529
Great points by @JillFilipovic and @nerdjpg. https://twitter.com/JillFilipovic/status/1532103256922591237
According to this article, hundreds of domestic violence victims have already retracted their statements and given up on their ability to get justice as a result of watching this trial. https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/culture-news/amber-heard-johnny-depp-verdict-metoo-trial-1361356/
“When people consume true life like scripted dramas, and news updates like twists in a script, it becomes all too easy for them to divorce reality from its humanity. Once Heard became the villain & Depp the victim, that was enough to keep millions hooked.” https://variety.com/2022/tv/opinion/johnny-depp-amber-heard-verdict-entertainment-1235283022/
Here’s a great thread about the (mythical) perfect victim, the overused and often incorrect notion of “mutual abuse”, and how actual domestic violence differs from reactionary violence. https://twitter.com/karachiiite/status/1532098780241305603
Great thread and article about the memeification of the trial and how it dissuades other DV survivors from coming forward. https://twitter.com/ejdickson/status/1523734622382981122
Can’t stress this enough: parents have a fundamental role in combatting DV myths and rape culture. Unless your child lives off the grid, they’ve heard of this trial. If they don’t learn about DV from you, they’ll learn from propaganda algorithms or classmates making harmful jokes https://twitter.com/JenReadsRomance/status/1532160726533652480
The Daily Wire “spent between $35,000 and $47,000 on Facebook and Instagram ads promoting articles about the trial, eliciting some four million impressions. The majority of these ads promote one-sided articles and videos with a clear bias against Heard.” https://www.vice.com/en/article/3ab3yk/daily-wire-amber-heard-johnny-depp
The disinformation and propaganda campaign surrounding Depp is extremely evident in @cbouzy’s bot investigation. https://twitter.com/cbouzy/status/1533053193843777537
According to @JamesSurowiecki, defamation law should not have even applied in the Depp v. Heard case. He breaks down the legality of Heard’s phrasing in her original op-ed. https://twitter.com/JamesSurowiecki/status/1533137354499694592
Great point by @NBedera. https://twitter.com/NBedera/status/1532178530913615872
Thread by @DrEmmaKatz on the validity of DV victims fighting back (even physically) against their abuser. https://twitter.com/DrEmmaKatz/status/1533786535820132354
“The verdict reinforces the fact that abuse doesn’t end when you leave a relationship… The court system is supposed to be impartial, but juries and judges are still human, and an abuser can manipulate them just as easily as they manipulate their victims.” https://www.thecut.com/2022/06/johnny-depp-amber-heard-verdict-rattles-survivors.html
If you only read one thing today, let it be this incredible piece by @raynefq. https://internetprincess.substack.com/p/whos-afraid-of-amber-heard?utm_campaign=post&utm_source=direct
The clearest example of the sexualization and memeification of Depp v. Heard: a sex toy to simulate Amber Heard’s rape with a liquor bottle. The company also doubled down on it. Sexualizing someone’s account of rape is horrendous, whether or not you believe them.
Here’s a great thread explaining DARVO, the playbook so often used by abusers, and the parallels between the Gabby Petito case and Depp v. Heard. https://twitter.com/k4mi1laa/status/1537345659128324098