Have you Heard the one about Depp?

[OscarGuy]

I argued Sabin's point this morning when asked why I should care that Depp got away with it in spite of documented cases of abuse. Someone also mentioned the case against Rachel Evan Wood brought by Marilyn Manson. I am sure this trial will be held as an example and he will eviscerate Wood the same way Depp did Heard.

Was Heard guilty of abhorrent behavior? Absolutely. She didn't deserve to be harassed and demeaned in the public space over it...it's disgusting what has happened since. I will never understand why the judge didn't sequester that jury. There is NO WAY that the excuse given was appropriate. There is no way the jury could have escaped the horrid vitriol spewed against Heard. I think Heard's lawyers might succeed on appeal just because of that. No human being, especially not in California, can ignore social media entirely. Facebook is ubiquitous and even if they aren't using it, their friends and family are and it's unlikely that those individuals in the jury members' lives wouldn't have said something.

[Sabin]

Sonic Youth wrote
Anyway, one of the concerns I've read is how Heard was relentlessly attacked by social media and how this might intimidate more women to confront men with power, even when they're in the right. Public opinion seems to be very much on Depp's side. Again, they may be right. But what happens long-term as a consequence? Nothing good, it would seem to me.

Yup. Dangerous precedent. Johnny Depp didn’t have to do this. This all could’ve happened behind closed doors. He could’ve given interviews afterwards. Reclaimed his career slowly but surely, like literally every movie star of his stature does. Mel Gibson has a career. The notion that Depp was done forever is insane. But no. He had to go scorched earth. And now everyone knows how to do it. It’s going to result in abuse victims reliving their abuse before the cameras and labeled the abusers themselves, if in fact it hasn’t already.

[Sonic Youth]

She's appealing so it's not over yet.

The good news is, appeals don't take weeks. And they're not televised either.

[Big Magilla]

She's appealing so it's not over yet.

I haven't been paying any attention to this at all, so I have no opinion as to whether the verdict was fair or not, nor do I care. There are too many other things going on in the world to be bothered with nonsense like this.

[Sonic Youth]

I have absolutely no opinion about the case itself. I watched none of it, other than a couple of 30 second clips. If this was a just and correct verdict, so be it. But what does this mean for libel suits in general going forward? We all know rich a-holes always use - or threatened to use - these suits as protection from criticism, or even from investigations. Now we see it can be used as a sledgehammer, justified or not. Remember when Trump was running for president, he promised to "open up" libel laws making it easier for wealthy people like him to sue ordinary people like the rest of us? I'm guessing he was talked out of it - maybe the idiot realized he could also be sued under these laws - but it was one of the causes he was most passionate about. (Of course, he went on to use the power of his office to libel others.)

Anyway, one of the concerns I've read is how Heard was relentlessly attacked by social media and how this might intimidate more women to confront men with power, even when they're in the right. Public opinion seems to be very much on Depp's side. Again, they may be right. But what happens long-term as a consequence regarding future similar cases? Nothing good, it would seem to me.

[OscarGuy]

I'm honestly surprised this hasn't come up before. I'm sure there was some angry retaliation on Heard's part, but Depp doesn't get to excuse his own bad behavior just because she also had some.

[Mister Tee]

The answer seems to be, they should both go away and never come back, which I think squares with how a lot of people see this.

And, there: that's as much thought as I'm going to expend on this turd of a story.

[Sabin]

I've edited this post about three times for sensitivity but fuck it. I just hate this trial so much. These people should not be in our lives like this. But I hate the fact that Johnny Depp has created this avenue for anyone to turn their lawsuit into a trashy ass media circus to smear the bitch and win the court of public opinion so you can reclaim whatever your version of the sixth Pirates of the Caribbean film is in your life. Hate it.

[Sonic Youth]

In about 10 minutes, social media is gonna be cringe. We'll soon learn whether Johnny Depp murdered Amber Heard or Amber Heard murdered Johnny Depp. I admit I haven't ben following this, but I think it's a murder case because it's The Trial Of The 21st Century!! And it can't be The Trial Of The 21st Century if the stakes weren't so high. Right?

Seriously, has everyone gone crazy?