Deep in the Depp Scandal

In society today, assault and battery is not taken lightly, especially when celebrities are involved. On May 21st, 2016, Amber Heard, Johnny Depp’s former wife, filed against him with accusations of marital abuse. Heard claimed that Depp was repeatedly abusing her and filled for a restraining order against Depp. At the time was also the #MeToo movement, which seemed to drive Heard’s allegations into the spotlight jeopardizing Depp. Since then, Depp has had the time to gather himself, and physical evidence against Heard which has shocked everyone.

Depp has filed a defamation lawsuit against his ex-wife and is suing her for fifty million dollars, after creating an “elaborate hoax” to boost her career and destroy his. When Heard announced her accusations, it was simple for everyone to believe her. There she was, an abused wife, pleading for freedom from her evil husband who is destroying her life – that itself is easy to believe. Everyone just assumed that a weak woman was being beaten by her overpoweringly abusive husband, but that has been called into question by Depp’s latest response.

Zach Healey ‘21 explained that, “In our society, we are quick to judge the men and brand them as accusers. In this, we forget that both men and women are abusers and are abused.” Depp claims that Heard’s allegations were completely fake, and that she is not the victim of domestic violence, but rather is the perpetrator.

Depp brought to the courts, and the public, physical evidence against Heard and eye-witnesses to back up his evidence. There have been multiple testimonies, even from authority, that when Heard accused Depp, there was no physical evidence of abuse, no cuts, no bruises.  In fact, according to Depp, Heard broke a glass bottle and used said bottle to disfigure one of Depp’s fingers. She then blamed it on him saying that it was self-inflicted and this was a sign of his uncontrollable rage. Milena Pulley, ‘20 shared, “The fact is she lied and abused him. Where is her punishment?” In Depp’s lawsuit, it claims that after viewing surveillance video from their building, one of his employee’s “testified under oath that she saw Whitney Heard pretend to punch her sister in the face. Then Ms. Heard, Ms. Pennington [Heard’s best friend], and Whitney Heard all laughed.” To Heard, this entire situation has been an act against her successful husband.

This is the most unnerving part of the whole situation: Heard’s accusations have destroyed Johnny Depp’s career which is the primary reason he is suing. One of Depp’s most influential roles in Hollywood is his character of Jack Sparrow in Disney’s Pirates of the Caribbean series. In the upcoming movie in the series, Depp was denied his role because of Heard’s accusations. Depp has also not been cast in several movies since the accusations in 2016 because of his now-tainted reputation. Sarah Blais, ‘20 shared that she “knew that some people were boycotting his work because of the allegations and now that the truth has come out, he might not get his career back.”

Personally, I think that society should take this all into consideration and realize that we should never be quick to judge – just because “usually” the man is the abuser doesn’t mean that it has to be true. Hopefully, Depp will find his place in Hollywood again and Heard will reap what she sows.