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(The opinions expressed herein are that of the author.) If one thing is clear at this point in Johnny Depp versus Amber Heard, it is that the media got it wrong while handling Heard’s allegations against Depp. So, why do they refuse to admit it? As social media continues collecting evidence in Depp’s favor, the media is doubling down on Team Heard. The mainstream media’s move is not surprising, although it is infuriating.
Johnny Depp’s lawyers, online creators, and social media users alike have found discrepancies galore when examining Amber Heard’s allegations. The mainstream media refuses to legitimatize almost any of it. On her second day of direct testimony, Heard ratcheted up her allegations with new and highly disturbing ones.
Related: Amber Heard Interview: Why Is The Media Still Supporting Her?
At one point, Amber Heard appeared to spot the press pool photog and pose for a picture while supposedly drying her face with a tissue mid “cry.” It is unclear if the jury caught the explosive moment. Johnny Depp’s supporters did not miss it, and a tweet with the footage went viral. It could not be ignored. Regardless of that incident or any other, the media has scrambled to cover Amber Heard in a favorable light.
The Media Coverage
The New York Post wanted to focus on a moment outside the jury’s presence when Johnny Depp was preparing to exit through his usual door. Amber Heard had still not crossed the courtroom to exit. The snafu led Heard to appear to act “frightened” as Depp came closer. For his part, Depp just shrugged his shoulders.
Meanwhile, TMZ had to hesitantly admit that Amber Heard posing for a crying photo on the stand was “likely” true. There was no real question about its veracity. It was caught on video. In an effort to pivot, TMZ followed up by denouncing the internet’s claims that portions of Heard’s testimony were taken from movies and the allegation that she was snorting cocaine on the stand.
Early on its coverage of the civil trial, Inside Edition heavily insinuated that the public is solely siding with Johnny Depp because he is more famous than Amber Heard. In one headline, Insider said Depp had spent three weeks “painting” Heard in a negative light and not the evidence. (Yes, really.) According to the coverage, people’s reactions have nothing to do with Depp’s team’s evidence and witnesses in court. It is because Johnny Depp is more famous. (Right.)
This It Not About Johnny Depp’s Fame
One of the huge rallying cries of the press has been claiming that Johnny Depp’s fame is clouding people’s judgment. For context, I was once a fan of Amber Heard’s. I first noticed Heard when she starred in the highly-underrated (and gone too soon) 2007 CW series, “Hidden Palms,” and was impressed with her.
Amber Heard played the female lead in a mysterious role that cast her as a haunted soul in the short-lived series. Her star-power was self-evident, and it seemed a star (her star) was truly on the rise. In an odd twist, Heard completely ignored her TV career during her testimony.
Perhaps, she only wants to be considered a movie star, even if it is in self-proclaimed small roles? Contrary to how it may seem now, Amber Heard is a good actress. Her performances in “The Informers” and “All the Boys Love Mandy Lane” indicate that. At the end of the day, though, the evidence and not star power have spoken volumes. In response to Inside Edition’s video, I could not resist leaving this comment on YouTube:
“Disappointed in Inside Edition with this one. People aren’t supporting Johnny Depp because he is more famous than Amber Heard. [Depp] has been “cancelled” for the better part of 7 years because of Miss Heard’s claims. That would not have happened if the public blindly believed in Mr. Depp because of his fame. Many people are (finally) hearing the full story in living color for themselves and making a judgment based on what is being presented.
Amber Heard being a mother does not change anything. Johnny Depp is a father. That fact has not impacted the case or the public’s initial rush to judgment against him. Not sure how showing pictures of Miss Heard in a maternal mode changes what has been presented about her in court regarding her marriage to Mr. Depp.
The media has been hounding Johnny Depp for years with no regard for the truth. They have egg on their faces. The only damage control they can do now is to admit they were wrong, and they will never do that.”
This is not about disliking Amber Heard -- quite the opposite. It is painful and sad to see a fall from such a height of promise fading into this light instead. Once upon a time, Heard had everything. Now, whatever she had to offer on-screen means nothing due to her behavior off-screen.
Time to Come Clean
The media is incapable of admitting they helped fuel the flames of a rush to judgment against Johnny Depp. Never mind that it is the media’s job to report the news. It is not to shape people’s opinions of it. The press failed Depp by refusing to report on overwhelming evidence in his favor, leaving the job for online sleuths instead.
Leaked audio provided by YouTuber Incredibly Average tells a vastly different story of what happened in Australia versus what Amber Heard testified to in court. A viral video from Popcorned Planet put a spotlight on the audio. Fans’ desire for the truth has not waned, and YouTube channels have continued to post damaging info about Heard’s case.
To which the disturbing bombshells only keep coming. In another twist, there is a sworn statement from Amber Heard’s former assistant, Kate James, alleging that Heard stole James’ personal account of SA for herself, per The Guardian. In response, the media has not kept drumming on this beat, nor have they shared widely circulating evidence that counters Heard’s claims. Get ready for it.
Is A Picture Worth $50 Million?
In a recent video, Popcorned Planet featured a sworn statement from the make-up artist who worked on Amber Heard for her appearance on “The Late Late Show with James Corden” shortly after Heard alleged that Johnny Depp attacked her. Heard went on the late-night talker to promote “The Danish Girl.” The make-up artist said there was no visible evidence of any sustained injuries on Heard, and the breadcrumbs do not end there.
Instead of acknowledging massive holes in Amber Heard’s claims, the media is determined to go down with her. The question for many is why? I believe the press wants to give Heard as much leeway as possible partly due to its past handling of women. They came for Britney Spears and tried to do the same with Taylor Swift. Taking a protective stance on women is arguably among several other thinly veiled motives.
Through it all, the media has missed the point. They should have learned to examine claims closer, no matter the claimant’s gender. After all, gender alone does not determine the truthfulness of an allegation, and investigative journalism is a real means of learning and exposing where the truth lies. Meanwhile, YouTube creators and others online are doing what the mainstream media should if they cared about the truth.
YouTubers To The Rescue?
Law & Lumber on YouTube vividly debunked Amber Heard’s testimony regarding her claims that Johnny Depp allegedly broke his sturdy wood bed frame using his boot to “gain purchase” on the mattress. That claim is tested in the video, and that is not all. Law & Lumber makes a startling observation at the end of the video. Watch it here. So, what does all of this mean?
Instead of crediting online creators for the info and turning the tide in their coverage, the media refuses to yield. On Court TV, talking heads have insisted that Johnny Depp has damaged himself as much as Amber Heard with the civil trial. In their minds, private texts Depp admitted being ashamed of are equivalent to Depp’s allegations that Amber Heard physically and verbally abused him.
On top of that, Johnny Depp alleges that Amber Heard perpetuated a hoax by claiming it was she who suffered at Depp’s hands when he contends the opposite is true. Personally, there is no comparison between the private texts and what Depp is alleging Heard did to him. To that point, the media could have continuously pointed out and harped on Amber Heard’s 2009 DV arrest against her ex-wife, which USA Today confirmed.
What The Media Has Been Doing
The mainstream news has ignored everything they know and found that lawyers to claim Depp and Heard’s court case have hurt them equally (Variety). How is it that the media has found lawyers to declare this when there are other lawyers on YouTube readily offering different takes?
The media has (purposefully?) missed the boat on the obvious express, and they have no desire to change course. It is not sad. It is pathetic. So, who should you be watching instead for coverage of Johnny Depp and his civil trial against Amber Heard?
Here are some good ones on YouTube:
Incredibly Average
Popcorned Planet
Christina Randall
Law & Lumber
SLO4N
CLR Bruce Rivers
Johnny Depp has been canceled for six years due to his ex-wife Amber Heard’s abuse allegations. The rallying cry for his dismissal from society was due largely to the media rallying behind the legitimacy of Heard’s claims and a desire to believe whatever she alleges. In a Virginia courtroom, the narrative is certainly changing for the entire world to see. The tide is finally in favor of Jack Sparrow’s portrayer.
Final Thoughts
Johnny Depp is currently enjoying a massive resurrection of goodwill on social media. To which, I say it is about time. Will it be enough to regain Depp’s brilliant career the press has tried to downplay through the years? I would hope so. That said, what the public wants and what studios decide to do are rarely synched.
No matter the verdict of his civil trial, Johnny Depp is correct in saying Amber Heard’s allegations will follow him the rest of his life. It is a tragic truth, and regardless of what the media says, there are takeaways to this trial. One of them has huge implications for our culture. Sometimes DV does not present in areas that society has been conditioned to recognize it. That does not make it any less true.
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