What do you think about the Johny Depp/Amber Heard verdict?

He won, she lost, it was a waste of everyone’s time, and in the big world, it was completely meaningless.

It’s hard to win a case when you put your poop on your husband’s bed.

Why in the world was a civil suit made public?

I found 2 articles, both from abcnews, that give different amounts – one for $10M, another for $15M. Also, remember this was in Virginia.not sure what the cap is there or if that’s the state you were referring to. Not debating, just found it interesting that different amounts were reported from the same news source. LOL

Glad it’s over, glad he won.

He got awarded 10 million in reparations, and 5 million in punitive damages from Heard, the latter was capped at 350000. Heard got awarded 2 million in reparations, and no punitive damages from the Depp.

@canidmajor
Depp wanted it to be public, so that even if he were to lose the case in a court of justice, he would at least win in the court of public opinion.

@smudges: @ragingloli is correct. The state of VA caps punitive damages which is why he’s not actually getting 15 mil, he’s getting 10.4.

@jca2 ok, gotcha!

@ragingloli, and just how sad is it that he can make such a request and have it honored.

No one asked for the trial to be televised. The judge decided to allow it after many requests.

I disagree that the trial was meaningless. The lawyers in my office have been talking for weeks about how this case might change the way DV trials are held and what constitutes evidence, especially in relation to expert witnesses.

I watched quite a bit of the trial as I work alone in an office and had it on YouTube. Compelling to me: she claimed Depp hit her , broke her nose, busted her lips and blacked both eyes. Yet she was on a late night show with no bruises, no split lip, no swollen nose the very next day. Nor did she see a doctor. She said she had make up on. Make up doesn’t hide swelling or split lips.
She had hours and hours of them arguing. Lots of times he was apologizing for yelling or calling her names. Never did he say he hit her. She, on the other hand admitted to hitting him and called him a pussy for saying it hurt.
She came off as unbelievable and her side didn’t have the supporting evidence in my opinion.
But no one really wins here. It was sad to have all that dirty laundry flapping in the breeze.

I did not watch any of the trial, nor did I watch any news stories about it. I read a few short articles.

In a country full of misogyny like the US is, I am not surprised Depp won both in money and public opinion.

That trial has been on in our house for weeks. My wife was sucked in to the spectacle. I have only watched it in passing. My opinion is while Jonny Depp may not have been an Angel the right decision was made. I agree that this was not insignificant. Slander/defamation should be taken seriously and there should be legal consequences in doing so.

It sounds to me like it came to it’s rightful conclusion.

If Heard really did lie about the sexual/physical abuse (and the jury seems to think she did), I find that beyond reprehensible. It gives ammunition against real abuse survivors and discourages them from coming forward. Sad.

Today is a sad day for free speech.

Apparently it’s a win for men everywhere and a loss for women everywhere (according to the internet, at least).

I couldn’t care less really. Too many things going down in this nation, and the world, to pay much attention to a flap between a celebrity couple. Glad it’s over, maybe they can find other things to cover on a slow news day.

The whole idea of it being made public and the obsession and team-choosing made me really uncomfortable.

I wish Depp’s request to make the trial public had been denied by the judge.

Nothing…

I think it’s a step forward. Women can be downright evil, too. I truly hope she gets the help she needs.

I didn’t pay close attention to the trial or the daily updates but if I had the news on, and they’d mention it, I’d pay attention. I do remember when Depp’s attorney pointed out that on the days when Heard claimed she was hit and injured, she’d be on talk shows the next day with no visible injuries. She said she wore makeup but Depp’s attorney correctly pointed out that makeup doesn’t cover up swelling.

I think it is way too easy for the public, once again, to side with the wealthier, better known, more popular, white male celebrity who is the legal aggressor here.

Perhaps more confusingly, this case is something like a do-over. In 2018, Depp sued the executive editor and publisher of the British tabloid The Sun for libel after it referred to him as a “wife beater” in an article, bringing the case to the notoriously more plaintiff-friendly British courts. People are happy to forget that:

”When Depp’s suit against the Sun went to trial in London in 2020, the burden was on the Sun to show that its statement about Depp was correct. Despite the odds stacked against it, the newspaper, which called on Heard to detail 14 instances during which she said Depp abused her, succeeded. The judge accepted that “Mr. Depp put her in fear of her life,” and soon after Depp announced that he had been asked to resign from the Fantastic Beasts franchise.” (from this: https://www.vox.com/culture/23043519/johnny-depp-amber-heard-defamation-trial-fairfax-county-domestic-abuse-violence-me-too)

There are a bunch of other reports about the Depp vs Sun case to be found online.

In the US, it is almost an absolute that in a he said/she said situation, he will prevail, especially if he is a powerful white man.
I don’t know or care who did what to whom in this particular case, but I do care that the woman is automatically disbelieved and vilified. He’s an actor, too. He has significantly more resources with which to pursue such a suit, and he starts with the high ground simply by being a handsome white man with power.

And yes, you can hide swelling within 24 hours with various anti-inflammatories, ice-packs, professional make-up, and professional lighting.

“In the US, it is almost an absolute that in a he said/she said situation, he will prevail, especially if he is a powerful white man”

I could not disagree more in 2022. In 2010 I would have agreed with you. All it takes in this day is an accusation to take down a man, especially a powerful white man.

@canidmajor Generally I would agree but not this time. Depp has been in the public eye from a young age and no previous accusations of this type behavior. Former girlfriends and wives all agreed he is not a violent man.
I truly believe she meant it when she said no one would believe a man was a victim of domestic abuse. In my experience it happens far more often than you’d think. It’s brave of him to continue to stand up for himself, in my opinion.

Personally I’ve seen passive, gentle men be abused and it’s extremely hard for them to admit to themselves, let alone law enforcement and the public.

@KNOWITALL Simply because he hasn’t been accused before doesn’t mean it hasn’t happened before. Your naïveté is touching, but wasted, I think, here. Poor Johnny Depp, keeps going after this woman until he beats her in a forum where he is more likely to be successful. Remember, he is the aggressor here.

This is not about about whether or not men are abused, too, that is a separate issue.

@canidmajor Agree to disagree then. Her own sister said she was scared of her and she’s an adult.

I’m 49 years old and have pulled women off men a few times. A vagina does not make you rational.

Some would have you believe that no women lie and that you should believe every single thing they say verbatim when it comes to accusations. How about we take all claims very seriously but also consider evidence and treat all parties as innocent until proven guilty.

@Blackwater_Park Agreed. Finally courts are changing in regards to custody and other issues, but society needs to catch up, too. #mentoo

@Blackwater_Park Yep. That’s why I’ve always had a problem with the #MeToo slogan “believe women”. It assumes that accusations must be true.

@KNOWITALL I’m hopefull things will become equitable on all sides. I don’t get why some automatically think women get the shaft in our legal system. From what I can tell it’s often the the opposite. The amount of men I know who have had their finances ruined, kids taken away and generally been completely destroyed in divorce court tells me the “patriarchy” certainly does not take care of their own. Men almost universally get harsher sentences for the same crimes, laughed at for reporting abuse, if you’re a homosexual or minority male, well you’re doubly screwed… I could go on.

That is one expensive SH!$T.

@Blackwater_Park I agree 100%. Here the father often is either crucified to the point he gives up or faces financial ruin, just trying to see his kids.

I’ve had several friends asked to sign over rights so the woman can re-marry and the kids never know their bio dad. Good guys, too, just poor. A few have signed over rights because child support is cancelled but holding a guy crying because he’ll never see his kid is very sad.

Why do you say it’s a sad day for free speech @jellyjellyjelly?

^^ I was wondering the exact same thing.

^^^^ It’s not like anyone got censored.

Founded in 1964, The Sun is a daily tabloid newspaper published in the United Kingdom and Ireland. In surveys, The Sun is considered the Least Trusted UK news outlet.

It’s a rag that will do/say anything to be shown to be right. I believe that judge was outright lied to numerous times.

And yes, you can hide swelling within 24 hours with various anti-inflammatories, ice-packs, professional make-up, and professional lighting.

But if you’d been attacked, wouldn’t you want to prove it? Not to mention there was at least one police officer who testified that when he examined her she showed no injuries, and that was the night before she had pictures taken showing the “abuse”.

Their behaviors, based on the day that I watched, were very telling. She appeared haughty and arrogant throughout, and he appeared quiet, calm, and rarely met her eyes. Typical abuser/abused body language.

A domestic abuse survivor was fined $15 million dollars for saying she was a domestic abuse survivor. That sounds an awful lot like censorship to me.

If you guys don’t like how dads are treated in family court, wait until you hear what they do to moms.

@jellyjellyjelly Have you followed the case at all? Talk about over-simplification.

It’s a simple case. He abused her, she said so, and he brought the “total global humiliation” he promised to punish her.

Everything else is FUD. Most people aren’t able to see when they’ve been duped by propaganda.

@jellyjellyjelly It’s not simple. Just because someone says something happened doesn’t mean it actually did. Apparently the evidence was not there to substantiate her claims.
Men can be abused, too.

@jellyjellyjelly Most people aren’t able to see when they’ve been duped by propaganda.

Well there’s one thing you’re right about – you’re one of “those people” who have been duped.

@jellyjellyjelly 90% of the time women are awarded custody in the US. All I’m saying is men are capable of love and nurturing, too, but statistically aren’t given the chance.

https://www.weinmanfamilylaw.com/blog/2020/06/are-the-courts-gender-biased-in-custody-cases/

@jellyjellyjelly There’s a verified recording of Amber Heard saying “I did not punch you, I was hitting you.”

Just IMAGINE if it was a man saying that to a woman… We would all be rallying around her to see that guy get locked up (rightfully so).

It’s my inclination to believe the woman unless given good reason not to, but from what I’ve seen and read there is a lot of suspicious stuff on her part. Perhaps he did assault her, and she didn’t get evidence at the time so she decided to fabricate it? I wasn’t there, so who knows, but there are some very suspicious facts that make it look like Heard was fabricating proof of assault. She clearly boosted the saturation on the two photos for example and then denied it. That kind of behavior (if true) really hurts movements like “Me Too” which is why it pisses me off so much.

Both of them need help. Their marriage was clearly a dumpster fire, and I hope they can both move on with their lives.

@KNOWITALL…pretty sure judges do their best to give 50/50 custody nowadays.

@gorillapaws, whether she abused him was not being adjudicated.

@KNOWITALL can you think of any possible explanation for that other than bias? Is that the only explanation? Did you even read the link you shared….?

I will just explain it to you since you are having a hard time arriving there. According to YOUR OWN LINK, when custody is contested, fathers win the majority of the time. The reason mothers have a higher rate of custody is because often fathers don’t even want it.

https://rightlawyers.com/do-courts-prefer-mothers-over-fathers/

Would have been better if she didn’t write that article imo.

@jellyjellyjelly “whether she abused him was not being adjudicated.”

It points to malice, which actually was a requirement of the suit.

I honestly think this is a huge boost for people to know that they can stand up for your rights in an emotionally abusive environment. This should have nothing to do with gender here.
Sadly the courts and society are gender slanted in their thinking that men cannot be abused in a relationship. It continues the bias when people immediately think a man is wrong in raising these claims against his female spouse or ex spouse vs their immediate feeling if the gender roles were reversed.
I applaud Mr Depp for wanting this public. I feel opening this up to show this was his very intent.
Every relationship similar to this has its share of ugliness that people feel shame over.
I feel it was a correct outcome in the end. Emotional abuse is the very result of this day to day craziness that we heard in the case. It causes you to do things very differently from your normal way of being. Unless you are a judge trained in this, therapist, or survivor of emotional abuse can you even wrap your brain around it.

Well, men are more able to protect themselves. If a woman throws him into a wall he’d come up swinging and that would be the end of that.

@Dutchess_III “If a woman throws him into a wall he’d come up swinging and that would be the end of that.”

You do realize that if he hits her in legally-justifiable self-defense, he’s still going to be the one the cops haul off to jail and have his life ruined as a “wife-beater?” It would be the end of that, but not in the way you’re implying. Men really shouldn’t ever hit women, even in self-defense. I think that’s pretty deeply ingrained into most people. It would take something very extreme (risk of losing life or limb) for me to ever consider using violence on a woman in self defense.

What was being adjudicated was one person’s right to state a fact in print. When one person loses that right, we all do. It sets a very dangerous precedent.

The gender smokescreen is there to distract the audience. Seems to be working pretty well.

”FACT” in print. She didn’t have support backing her claims.
It’s the reason you can’t run into a crowded theater and yell fire if there is no fire. It would cause confusion and chaos and people could trample over each other.

@chyna Agree. Her article did not tell the other side’s story, just hers. Hard not to assume she wasn’t also motivated by a desire to get back at Depp. Now that we all know how problematic and flawed the two of them are as human beings.

She had enough evidence to convince a court in the UK on 12 counts.

She had enough evidence to convince me.

She had far more evidence than most people who go through domestic violence can ever hope for.

The UK has different standards. And that trial was against the rag also known as The Sun, not Amber Heard. The Sun is right up there with the National Enquirer.

@jellyjellyjelly so trolls are easily duped then?

Obviously not enough “people” know that a man shouldn’t hit a woman or we wouldn’t have the domestic violence problem that we have @gorillapaws. Not every man feels and thinks the way you do.

My whole point is a man is more equipped to protect himself from a woman, than a woman is from a man. If he can get up long enough to shove her away and get out the door he’s good.
Many women don’t have that option.

@Dutchess_III I think they know damn well what they’re doing is wrong. Picture a room full of guys in a locker room and one of them said “that date last night went really well” and then gave a wink, the guys might cheer him on. If he instead said “I slapped her around a taught her who’s in charge” I can assure you that not only would he not receive praise, but he would probably get his ass kicked. There’s no “boys’ club” tacit approval for violence against women (at least not in the US that I’ve ever seen).

Yes, domestic abuse is very much alive and well. It’s completely unacceptable and penalties should be much more severe IMO. I think the abusers know they’re scumbags though and aren’t simply “misunderstood.”

I understand your point about a man generally being more physically equipped to protect himself from an abusive woman. I’m just making the point that just because a man is physically capable of hitting back, doesn’t mean he can use force to defend himself. We never want men hitting women, but unfortunately some women realize this means she can hit him and he can’t hit back. I suspect this is a lot more common that people realize.

Well, I’ve been on the receiving end of domestic violence twice, @gorrillapaws. Of course it’s not anything either of them would have bragged about.
How about you?

@Dutchess_III I’m sorry you went through that and I’m glad you’re safe now.

What has your experience with domestic violence been @gorillapaws.