How I Heard of Amber Heard

I never heard of Amber Heard until the trial between her and Johnny Depp. Now she’s quite well known but not in a good way. Rumors abound that she will not work in this town (Hollywood) again.

Once in a blue moon, I’ll think of an old favorite celebrity and look them up online. Depp is one such favorite. As a guest on talk shows, he was quite funny without trying to be. Years ago, he was on one such show that I don’t remember and was drinking wine. When the next guest came on, Depp was comically distracting when he kept refilling his glass. I was searching for that scene online and found other videos I wasn’t expecting.

One involved a woman filming Depp in a kitchen where he was cranky, drinking, and slamming cabinet doors. He was clearly not in a good mood. The placement of the cell phone and the way it was being hurriedly adjusted behind his back indicated he did not know he was being recorded. Why was someone doing this? 

This reminded me of another disturbing video of actor David Hasselhoff. His daughter recorded him drunk on a bathroom floor eating a hamburger. She was pleading with him to promise to stop drinking. After the video was released publicly, Hasselhoff received treatment for his addiction. In contrast, the equally humiliating video of Depp seemed that someone was setting him up for a different reason. Of course, it was later realized that it was Heard making the recording that was played in court.

In summary, Heard wrote a leading article in a 2018 issue of the Washington Post where she claimed, “… two years ago, I became a public figure representing domestic abuse. I had the rare vantage point of seeing, in real time, how institutions protect men accused of abuse.” Although Depp is never mentioned by name,she was married to him from February 2015 – January 2017. Depp argued that the article clearly referred to their marriage.

Depp sued Heard for $50 million in a defamation case. She counterclaimed for $100 million. Depp prevailed with $10 million in compensatory damages and $5 million in punitive damages because she “acted with actual malice.” (The punitive damages were reduced to $350,000 because of a statutory cap.) Heard was awarded $2 million by the jury in compensatory damages for her counterclaim but nothing in punitive damages.

Speculation among attorneys on Court TV pondered that the jury could come back with a verdict within a day… both could be awarded zero dollars because of their fame, etc. The jury did not come back with a slam dunk. They deliberated for 14 hours over the course of three days with both winning something monetary, but more was at stake.  

Depp said the jury gave him his life back. The last movie that I was aware of with Depp was Murder on the Orient Express in 2017 with several other high-profile celebs. According to Vox.com, in “December 2016, it was announced that Depp would play a key role in the Harry Potter spinoff franchise Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them.” In 2018, Depp sued a British tabloid for libel after it referred to him as a “wife beater” in an article. The case went to trial in 2020 in London (with no jury) and “the judge accepted that ‘Mr. Depp put Heard in fear of her life.’ Soon after, Depp announced that he had been asked to resign from the Fantastic Beasts franchise.” Depp’s main goal was to get his name back in a favorable way.

On the other hand, it seems that Heard tried to jump on the bandwagon of the #MeToo movement but fell off.  Unlike in the UK, she had to convince a jury and failed. The case was quite convoluted but there were some key factors that reassured me that gut instincts were sound.

When Heard testified, she was quite dramatic. However, there were no tears in her anguish. Wouldn’t a professional actress at least be able to conjure up some tears? I remember years ago a child actress was interviewed on how she was able to cry on cue. She said the director instructed her to think of a sad time and re-envision that time. The girl said she remembered when her pet died and how she felt and was able to cry for the camera.

Heard was heard on a recording taunting Depp that no one would believe that he was a victim of domestic violence following fights they had. Police responded to one such fight and testified there was no evidence to support Heard’s claim of being hit. While explaining another fight on a stairway involving her sister, herself, and Depp, she opened a can of worms. She mentioned that Depp’s ex-girlfriend, super-model Kate Moss, also fell down some stairs when with him. Enter Kate Moss.

Moss testified that she and Depp were leaving a vacation resort and she slipped down a few stairs following a heavy rain. She hurt her back and screamed, as it happened so fast. Depp came running and carried her back to her room and got medical attention. This was important to Depp’s character. At 58-years-old, he’s had lots of girlfriends. None have come forward on a bandwagon claiming abuse, not even to rekindle a fading star of their own.

Depp’s testimony was more believable in that he didn’t try to come across as an angel, that we know he’s not. He admitted to being violent toward the cabinets, etc., but not women. He made headlines in the 90s when he trashed a hotel room and paid nearly 10K for damages. Depp spoke slowly, very slowly, in court. I heard slurred words and wondered what was in his drink. I remember when he was engaged to Winona Ryder and had a tattoo “Winona Forever.” When they broke up, Depp had the last two letters removed, which left the words “Wino Forever.” Perhaps it’s a self-fulfilling prophecy.

The six-week trial was like watching a reality show. Although Heard’s performance didn’t go well, she sure showcased some nice hairstyles. My favorite was the braided crown around her hairline. Another light moment was when a reporter stated that Depp was munching on gummy bears strewn on the table and shared with his legal team throughout the trial. This is not likely the last we’ve heard from Heard or Depp, especially regarding the threat to the #MeToo movement.