In March 2019, Johnny Depp sued his ex-wife Amber Heard for defamation. In 2021, Heard counter-sued Depp for similar cause. Despite this trial beginning with the two celebrities claiming defamation, it is very quickly escalating into a domestic abuse case. People on social media have started picking sides and sparking arguments in a chaotic manner. All of this causes us to wonder, why is this happening, who is truly the abuser, and what should we do? 

Although the couple’s marriage only lasted a few months, Depp and Heard were romantically interested in one another for years. Their relationship took off while filming “The Rum Diary” in 2009. The couple began dating in 2012, the same year Depp and Vanessa Paradis got divorced. In 2014, Heard was seen wearing an engagement ring, and Depp later confirmed the engagement during interviews. The couple got married in 2015.

In May 2016, Amber Heard filed for divorce and a temporary restraining order against her now ex-husband, only 15-months after their marriage. Heard claimed that Depp threw a phone at her, leaving her injured. In an interview, Heard said “During the entirety of our relationship, Johnny Depp has been verbally and physically abusive to me… He has a short fuse. He is often paranoid and his temper is exceptionally scary for me”. However, Depp denied these allegations. In 2017, the divorce was finalized.

In 2018, Heard wrote an op-ed for The Washington Post, stating “I became a public figure representing domestic abuse, and I felt the full force of our culture’s wrath for women who speak out.” In 2019, Depp sued Heard for defamation, insisting that the article was a tactic for positive press. Depp also claimed that Heard was not a victim of domestic violence, rather, a perpetrator. 

In 2020, audio of Heard saying she hit Depp was released. During this time The Sun, a British tabloid, stated that Depp was a “wife-beater.” Because of this, Depp filed a law-suit against Dan Wootton, the executive editor of News Group Newspapers, The Sun’s parent company. 

In 2021, Amber Heard counter-sued Johnny Depp. On April 11, 2022, the trial began in Fairfax County, Virginia. In the defense’s opening statement, attorney J. Benjamin Rottenborn, read the entirety of the op-ed written by Heard from The Washington Post. Depp and his team testified for four days, showing evidence of Heard’s abuse against Depp.

In contrast, Heard’s team aimed their attention to Depp’s past drug and alcohol abuse, stating that Depp was the one who perpetrated the violence. 

On May 4, Heard began her testimony. She expressed that Depp had an active drug and alcohol addiction during their relationship.

Heard also claimed that Depp performed a ‘cavity search’ on her while on vacation in May 2013, asserting that Depp was hoping to find cocaine. Heard described many other instances of abuse in her testimony, such as the first time Depp hit her. 

Heard claimed that she used a makeup pallet by Malani to cover up bruises on her face and neck from 2014-2016. “No woman wants to walk around with bruises on her face,” she said in court. However, Malani took to their TikTok stating they did not release their color correcting palette until 2017.

Domestic abuse is a complicated and scary case to crack, especially when the accused are people we admire. With all of this evidence, we can attempt to reveal who is really at fault. 

After careful review of each testimonial, it is my opinion that Amber Heard is the perpetrator. Firstly, there is audio evidence that Heard has hit Depp on multiple occasions, while her own lawyers have failed to provide any physical evidence. As well, attorney Rottenborn has objected to his own question, mocked the defendant, and has called hearsay over 100 times. 

Additionally, Heard has been caught lying to the court on multiple occasions. She claimed that she donated 7 million dollars to The Children’s Hospital of Los Angeles and The American Civil Liberties Union and used a specific makeup palette in 2013, both of which are total lies. If Heard has to lie to prove her innocence, she cannot be completely blameless. 

I think that the only reason why people believe Amber Heard is because of the idea that men cannot be abused. While it is true that women are generally more subjected to abuse than their male counterparts, we cannot forget that men can be hurt too. This stereotype has caused many men to not report their abuse. As a society, we need to be able to acknowledge that all sexes and genders are abused in every way, shape and form. No one is weak or incompetent because they report their abuse.  

In my opinion, it is clear that Amber Heard has abused Johnny Depp and lied to the court while under oath. She must not be let off without punishment. People have been hurt because of Heard’s tongue, and justice must be delivered.