For weeks, Amber Heard publicly fought Johnny Depp in court. It was all about the reputation of Hollywood stars. The 36-year-old accused her ex-husband of being violent during their marriage. He resisted. But one thing quickly became clear: the majority of the public was behind the “Pirates of the Caribbean” star. His ex, on the other hand, was mostly portrayed as a liar on social networks – and verbally abused.
The actress is certain: The jury was also influenced by it. The fact that countless postings and partisan media reports, some of which were fake, created a mood against Amber Heard was even confirmed by the evaluation of an analysis company commissioned by her lawyers.
“No one can tell me it was fair”
In an excerpt of her first post-sentencing interview, which will air NBC’s “Today Show” in full Tuesday and Wednesday, the 36-year-old talks about the role of social media in her court case.
She describes how she was treated publicly as unfair. On Twitter and TikTok, significantly more users would have sided with Johnny Depp. “Even someone who’s sure I deserve all this hate,” Heard says in the interview, “even if they think I’m lying, they can’t look me in the eye and tell me on social media there’s a… fair representation”. She reiterates, “No one can tell me it was fair.”
“It was really, really one-sided”
The jury was ordered to stay away from social media during the trial. Still, Heard’s attorney believes public opinion did have an impact on her. “They go home every night. They have families. The families are on social media. There’s no way they weren’t affected by it and it was horrible. It was really, really one-sided,” said Elaine Charlson Bredehoft In early June on the “Today Show”.
The jury, however, who didn’t believe her in court, doesn’t blame Amber Heard directly. “I even understand them,” said the actress. After all, Depp is “a popular public figure. People feel like they know him. He’s a fantastic actor”. For Heard, the jury could not help but believe Depp. After all, they only heard statements from the actor’s employees, who he paid.
