Fact-Based Opinion | Dr. Colin A. Harris
Since Amber Heard first made domestic and sexual violence allegations against Johnny Depp, most news and media organizations rallied behind Heard to offer their support while demonizing Depp. Heard presented a photo of a small bruise on her right cheek that accompanied her account of what occurred. Nonetheless, the media blindly supported her claim under the slogan "believe all women." However, the trial revealed what truly happened. After six weeks of testimony and evidence, a jury unanimously returned a judgment in Depp's favor on all three counts.
The jury determined that Heard defamed Depp with her statement in the online headline of the op-ed in The Washington Post: "I spoke up against sexual violence — and faced our culture's wrath. That has to change." The jury also found that Heard defamed Depp with the following statement in the op-ed's third paragraph: "Then two years ago, I became a public figure representing domestic abuse, and I felt the full force of our culture's wrath for women who speak out." The third statement, "I had the rare vantage point of seeing, in real-time, how institutions protect men accused of abuse," was also defamatory against Depp. Simply put, the jury believed that Heard was the aggressor and lied about being abused by Depp. An anonymous Juror revealed to ABC News that Heard didn't present any evidence to support her sexual or physical abuse claims. Like most of us who watched every second of the trial, the unnamed juror did not believe Heard's story and felt that she was the aggressor. "A lot of the jury felt what he was saying, at the end of the day, was more believable…," said the juror. "He just seemed a little more real in terms of how he was responding to questions. His emotional state was very stable throughout…"
In Heard's countersuit, the jury found that Depp's attorney, Adam Waldman, defamed Heard with a statement alleging that Heard and her friends damaged the property and called 911 a second time after the police determined no domestic disturbances occurred. Waldman's statement follows, "Quite simply this was an ambush, a hoax. They set Mr. Depp up by calling the cops, but the first attempt didn't do the trick. The officers came to the penthouses, thoroughly searched and interviewed, and left after seeing no damage to face or property. So Amber and her friends spilled a little wine and roughed the place up, got their stories straight under the direction of a lawyer and publicist, and then placed a second call to 911."
AMBER HEARD COMMITTED THE CRIME, THE ACLU AIDED AND ABETTED, AND THE MEDIA ORCHESTRATED THE COVER-UP
I have read many disingenuous mainstream articles that misrepresented the jury's findings—for example, stating that Waldman accused Ms. Heard and her friends of fabricating abuse allegations. That is 100% false and an attempt to insinuate that the jury believed Heard's account. The truth is, since the police officers testified that they were never called back to the penthouse, the jury sees Waldman's statement as false and defamatory. Waldman's statement had nothing to do with abuse allegations. Most of the people who are familiar with the evidence agree with the jury's findings. Most viewers believe that Heard staged the bruise on her face and lied about what happened in her marriage to Depp. Millions of people across the globe tuned in to watch weeks of testimony and evidence and determined that Johnny Depp was not a wife-beater as Amber Heard alleged. The overwhelming consensus of people on social media found that Heard was the one who abused Depp. Still, the media persists with their disingenuous coverage of the trial and verdict, neglecting to place the blame on the deserving party – Amber Heard. The corporate mainstream media also demonized Depp supporters as toxic. Contrastingly, independent journalists such as Andy Signore of Popcorned Planet and That Umbrella Guy have been covering the Depp v. Heard conflict for the past six years and exhibit more journalistic integrity than the mainstream media. Other independent media, such as Legal Bites, Emily D. Baker, and The Lawyer You Know, have reported on this Depp v. Heard case with professionalism and fairness, which should be the standard for all media organizations. The question is; why are these media organizations doubling down on their initial reporting of this dispute?
The mainstream media rushed to paint Amber as a victim without hearing the whole story because it is more important to get the story out first over fact-finding. But, they cannot publicly admit they were wrong because that would require some form of journalistic integrity. I cannot help but think that Heard’s new PR team is probably paying off some of these reporters. Another disingenuous narrative pushed by the corporate mainstream media is that the country is split over the verdict. That is utter bullshit. The only people who are torn about the verdict are those who wish to change the narrative. The media is also peddling the lie that domestic violence and sexual abuse victims are upset with the verdict. Well, reality says something different. Many domestic violence and sexual abuse victims are sickened by Heard’s lies and inconsistencies. In fact, during the trial, Popcorned Planet allowed real domestic violence and sexual abuse victims to call in, and the response was overwhelming with real survivors who were all disgusted with Amber Heard’s behavior. The media makes these broad statements without revealing any sources or providing specificity. For example:
Advocates fear Depp-Heard trial will have a chilling effect on women coming forward with abuse claims - PBS News
Johnny Depp's online fandom is toxic toward domestic abuse survivors, some online creators warn - NBC News
Men Always Win’: Survivors ‘Sickened’ by the Amber Heard Verdict - Rolling Stone
The Amber Heard Johnny Depp Trial was an orgy of misogyny. - The Guardian
The Johnny Depp and Amber Heard trial was used as an excuse to discredit women and tout misogyny - Glamour Magazine
Why It’s Time to Believe Amber Heard - Vogue
The actual Malice of the Johnny Depp Trial - The New York Times
Johnny Depp-Amber Heard Saga: Is Feminism Only for ‘Perfect Survivors’ Now? - The Quint
What Does Amber Heard’s Defamation Verdict Mean for the Bi Community? - Them
Since the mainstream media's campaign to relitigate the case has failed and the inability of Heard's newly hired PR team to revamp her tarnished image, some bad-faith actors are attacking YouTube journalists to silence them. That Umbrella Guy and Popcorned Planet are among the loudest voices challenging Heard's narrative. Someone has even started a petition to get their channels removed from YouTube.
A new talking point of Heard's supporters is that YouTubers are making money off the Depp v. Heard conflict. Yeah! So? Is anyone asking how much money the mainstream media made from this case? How much did Court TV make? What about Newsweek or the Today Show?
It is now apparent that Amber Heard and the team want the truth-tellers to stop talking and go away. The mainstream media, Amber Heard, and her supporters want us to forget:
They want us to forget that we heard with our own ears that Amber Heard admitted to punching Johnny Depp in the face. But they want us to believe Amber Heard.
They want us to forget that we witnessed Heard's testimony and saw her poor portrayal of a weak, broken, and abused victim. Either Heard is the worst actress or the best actress playing a bad actor playing the role of a battered victim. Either way, it didn't help her case. But they want us to believe Amber Heard.
They want us to forget that we saw two photographs identical in every aspect except the contrast. But they want us to believe Amber Heard.
They want us to forget we saw one photograph representing two different days. But they want us to believe Amber Heard.
They want us to forget that we saw Amber with a small bruise on her right cheek but no bruise the following day. But they want us to believe Amber Heard.
They want us to forget that Amber claimed that Johnny punched her so hard that she thought her nose was broken, but the photos showed no injuries. But they want us to believe Amber Heard.
They want us to forget that we saw evidence of Heard or her friend's feces on the bed, and Heard blamed it on their 4-pound Yorkie. But they want us to believe Amber Heard.
They want us to forget that Heard stated that Johnny Depp threw Kate Moss down the stairs, and Kate Moss said that never happened. But they want us to believe Amber Heard.
They want us to forget that we heard Amber Heard on an audio recording saying that Johnny retreats whenever they argue. I'm paraphrasing here. I am not an expert in domestic abuse or sexual violence, but common sense suggests that aggressors do not retreat during altercations. Still, they want us to believe Amber Heard.
They want us to believe that Heard did not leak the TMZ video and lied about it on the stand. Well, we have ears, eyes, and brains, and we don't believe Amber Heard.
Yes! The jury and most of the world believe Amber Heard is a liar. Yet the media wants us to believe her. Raven Smith of Vogue wants us to believe Amber. She wrote a dumb, tone-deff article titled "Why It's Time to Believe Amber Heard." It's a campaign to convince us that the problem is not with Heard but with Depp's supporters. Let's be clear, Depp supporters are saturating social media because it is a matter of necessity. It is imperative to counteract the propaganda machine that is the mainstream media. The majority of people believe Johnny Depp is the victim. If most people in society see injustice and stay quiet, then humanity is lost.
As long as Heard spreads her lies, social media will continue to call her out. Social media is speaking truth to power, and the media is trying to silence them.
Fusion Reggae Artist Colle Kharis, Tribute to Johnny Depp in support of case with Amber Heard.