Johnny Depp verdict: Actor’s popularity plummeted after Amber Heard trial, poll shows

Fans of the estranged couple exhaustively documented the plaintiff and defendant’s every move and mannerism in court, their attorneys’ arguments, the judge’s interventions and a wealth of colourful witness testimony on TikTok, Instagram and Twitter, carving up what might have amounted to dry legal proceedings into a spectator sport.

All of which has raised disapproving eyebrows in some quarters, with concerns expressed that the real issue at the heart of the case, domestic violence, was lost in what has become a bad taste viral soap opera.

While those criticisms are more than valid, there is no question that the trial provided an extraordinary spectacle and a cast of unforgettable supporting characters who found themselves unlikely cult celebrities.

Clémence Michallon writes:

I reported on this trial over the course of seven weeks. It took over my professional life, and many of my personal conversations. It was a difficult, often grim assignment.

Through it all, the cruelty of those who mocked Heard never ceased to amaze me.

Billie Eilish made reference to the Depp v Heard in an unreleased song that she performed to fans on her UK tour.

The 20-year-old pop star is currently in the UK on her world tour for her second album Happier Than Ever.

Performing at Manchester’s AO Arena on Tuesday (7 June), Eilish debuted a new song titled “TV”.

The track – which is yet to be released – is a slow, melancholy number with lyrics that reference the highly publicised Depp v Heard trial that came to an end last week

“The internet’s gone wild watching movie stars on trial, while they’re overturning Roe v Wade,” Eilish sang while sat on a stool opposite her brother and collaborator Finneas who played the acoustic guitar.

Johnny Depp’s lawyers appeared on Good Morning America a on Wednesday a week after winning the defamation trial against his ex-wife Amber Heard.

Host George Stephanopoulos asked if Mr Depp would forego the $8.35m in damages if Ms Heard dropped her appeal. Attorney Ben Chew said the case was never about money for Mr Depp but that he couldn’t reveal much more because of attorney-client privilege.

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The legal team for Johnny Depp has denied the accusation from a spokesperson for Amber Heard who said the attorneys were taking a “victory lap” by making TV appearances following their client winning a blockbuster defamation case.

Attorneys Camile Vasquez and Ben Chew were grilled by Good Morning America host George Stephanopoulos on Wednesday morning in one of their first televised interviews since their client emerged victorious in his defamation case against his ex-wife.

Johanna Chisholm reports:

Johnny Depp’s attorney has claimed that social media “played no role whatsoever” in the jury’s verdict in his defamation case against ex-wife Amber Heard.

Ben Chew, who represented the Pirates actor at the trial in Fairfax, Virginia, dismissed claims from Ms Heard’s legal team that the social media circus surrounding the case could have influenced the outcome.

Rachel Sharp reports:

Oscar winner Emma Thompson opened up about her views on the Depp v Heard case during a recent appearance on BBC Radio 4’s Woman’s Hour, addressing the fear expressed by some that Depp’s victory could lead women to stay silent on allegations of abuse.

Thompson urged listeners to note that the case was not “representative” of MeToo.

Asked whether the trial signalled the end of the MeToo movement, Thompson replied: “One of the things that’s very difficult to do is judge an issue like the MeToo issue brings to the fore when you’re dealing with very, very famous people. It’s a whole other thing.

“So actually one of the great issues to do with that case is fame... and how people who are famous are treated differently and viewed differently.”

The Independent’s Annabel Nugent reports:

Depp’s TikTok following has exploded in recent days as he continues to lap up attention in the wake of his trial success.

The actor joined the video-sharing app on Monday (6 June) days after winning his multimillion-dollar defamation trial against his ex-wife Amber Heard.

Depp managed to reach more than 3 million followers without having posted a single piece of content. His biography on the platform reads: “Occasional Thespian.”

The Independent’s Annabel Nugent has more:

Harriet Williamson writes:

It’s all gravy in Deppland, and well it might be. The “global humiliation” he promised his ex-wife is complete. Abuse has rained down on her on every conceivable platform, blanketing social media like a biblical plague. Heard’s facial expressions, gestures and mannerisms have been dissected and rubbished by armchair detectives, her testimony mocked with filters and by TikTok users mimicking and mugging at the camera.

Forget locusts, darkness, hail, water turning to blood – try being an unpopular woman testifying against a popular man.

Camille Vasquez has been elevated to partner at her firm Brown Rudnick following the key role she played as a member of Johnny Depp’s legal team during the defamation trial against Amber Heard.

Ms Vasquez became one of several unexpected celebrities at the trial through her tough cross-examination of witnesses and frequent objections to defence counsel questions.