The Johnny Depp and Amber Heard defamation trial was all anyone could talk about in the spring of 2022, and the Netflix docuseries brings even more shocking reveals into the light. Celebrity exes Johnny Depp and Amber Heard first met in 2009 while filming the indie dramedy , and both parties agreed that sparks flew almost instantaneously. The pair coupled up shortly after, and their whirlwind romance led to a beach wedding on Depp's private island in the Bahamas in February 2015. However, their marriage was short-lived, as divorce papers were served a little over a year later in May 2016.
Things began to spiral when
One of the most infamous details of the trial was Johnny Depp's allegations that Amber Heard had defecated on his side of the bed in retaliation before leaving with her friends for Coachella to celebrate her birthday. The accusation was one of the biggest talking points on social media, but the phantom defecator mystery was never solved in the courtroom, as the documentary explains. Heard alleged that Depp's dog, Boo, a teacup Yorkie known to have bowel issues after ingesting marijuana accidentally, was the culprit, and she cited past situations. However, no one was there when the incident happened, and it was never cleared up in court.
There's no question that support for Johnny Depp on social media platforms like TikTok was much louder than that for Amber Heard, but explains that some of his supporters were actually bots. The docuseries explains that certain TikToks from Depp fan accounts cutting trial footage together were never tied to real people and often linked to other bot accounts that had similar leanings. It's unclear how many pro-Depp TikTok videos during the trial were made by bots or real people, but Depp's lawyer, Ben Chew, stated to NBC (via
As explains, the cosmetics company Milani got unnecessarily involved in the trial when Amber Heard's defense team alleged that she used one of their makeup palettes to hide indicators of abuse from Johnny Depp. As any lawyer would, Heard's team brought a Milani palette into the courtroom to show the jury. However, the Milani TikTok account released a video pointing out that particular palette wasn't released until 2017, while Heard filed for divorce in 2016.
One of the more shocking elements of the docuseries was the reveal of communications between in 2013, which were brought up by Amber Heard's defense team. A series of texts included Depp writing, "" and "" Depp admitted outright on the stand to sending the texts to Bettany and expressed regret for his actions, citing that his words came during a low period of his life when the actor was struggling with quitting drinking.
One of the more confusing moments of was the verbiage of "" and "" when it came to Amber Heard's divorce settlement money. In an effort to stave off accusations of being a "," Heard publicly stated that she donated her $7 million from the settlement to two charities, the ACLU and Children’s Hospital Los Angeles. During cross-examination, Johnny Depp's lawyer panned Heard for "" the money, rather than "" it, as only part of it had been paid to charity so far. Heard claimed she was using the terms interchangeably, but the war that ensued on social media over these words drowned out everything else.
One of the biggest he-said-she-said moments in comes from Amber Heard's allegation that Johnny Depp kicked her in front of several witnesses on a private plane flying from Los Angeles to Boston. Depp denied these claims and a witness from his team who was on the flight also denied them. Texts between Heard and Depp's assistant Stephen Deuters were taken into evidence but not deemed relevant to the trial, and after being released to the public, it was revealed that Deuters' texts supported Heard's version of the story.
One of the biggest things that sought to explore was social media's impact on the defamation trial, and there's no question that it could've played a role in the outcome. The Johnny Depp and Amber Heard trial was one of the biggest stories of 2022, and nearly everyone was spouting their opinion online. TikToks and other social media posts claiming innocence on either side were inescapable for social media users during the trial, and while the jury wasn't "allowed" to follow anything reporting the trial, it has come reasonably into question just how sequestered they actually were.
A weird piece of trivia that establishes is that it was actually Johnny Depp who coined the phrase "" and not Amber Heard's lawyer, Ben Rottenborn. The bizarre phrase launched a thousand memes during the trial, but it was actually said first by Depp in his UK trial. The term is in reference to a video taken by Heard which features an unknowing Depp in an irritated state, slamming cabinets in their kitchen and pouring himself a "
alleges that the trial was never about defamation and was instead a well-disguised PR campaign. 's allegation doesn't seem too far off, as the docuseries claims that it was Depp who wanted cameras at the trial, making the entire thing an extremely public affair. This led to not only the social media storm of misinformation running rampant and launching campaigns from fans on either side but also huge crowds of people waiting outside the courtroom to see Depp and Heard enter and exit, hurling either blind support or vitriol, depending on where they stood.
Considering neither Johnny Depp nor Amber Heard has any ties to the state, whether familial, professional, or otherwise, it seemed odd that the trial should take place in Fairfax County, Virginia. explains that the case was tried in Virginia because the state touts outstanding defamation laws and the fact that houses its printing press and online server in Fairfax County. This turned out to be a strategic move for Depp, while Heard only walked away with one win.
The Netflix docuseries sought to highlight the sheer impact that the case had on the public and vice versa, putting forth the stunning revelation that the trial was the subject of six times more social media interactions than the war in Ukraine. The fact that the trial received more engagement from the public than an international event that has thus far caused over 9,400 civilian deaths (via ), with one-third of civilian casualties occurring in one month is frankly staggering. The trial also overshadowed other major events, seeing more social media interaction for the trial than inflation, COVID-19, and the war in Ukraine combined.
One of the allegations made by Johnny Depp as chronicled by was that Amber Heard threw a glass bottle at him, which shattered and cut off the tip of his finger. Heard's testimony alleges that she threw the glass bottle on the ground, and the debris then resulted in Depp's cut finger. With nary a warning, displays a graphic photo of , followed by several photos of him laid up in the hospital. The court never determined which side of the story was accurate, but the photo of Depp's finger will undoubtedly stick with viewers long after watching the Netflix docuseries.
