I've been watching the trial closely and I honestly don't know which way it will go. On one hand there is one hundred percent evidence that she has abused him, and has admitted it herself in audio evidence.
However when the lawyers were arguing, Amber's lawyer apparently said something along the lines of "all we have to do is prove that he hit her once and the case is out". There is definitely gender bias in that people are less likely to believe that a female is the abuser, which is awful in my opinion. I'm worried that there's some truth in what the lawyer said in that if at some point he retaliated to the abuse and she has proof, that his case will be dismissed.
There is also the issue of whether or not Amber has BPD like one of the witnesses suggests, and the text messages that demonstrate that he wasn't quite in his right mind when Johnny was fighting his addiction. There's a lot to consider. There are even body language experts looking in to the behaviour of Johnny and Amber on the stand to see if they detect deceit, but I'm not sure how accurate this would be in a highly tense and emotional setting.
I sincerely hope that he gets justice in this case because there is evidence he was abused and he lost many career opportunities and faced penalities that have not been seen for Amber, despite the proof that has been shown.
I'm so glad you shared your knowledge with us! It seems like we're on the same side (to be honest, it seems like everyone is on Johnny's side).
Anyways, as you mentioned, this case highlights the fact that males are always seen as the abuser which is very detrimental to the ones who are victims. We need to shift this narrative as soon as possible!
And it would be very devastating if the justice is not served in this case.. I hope her lawyers don't find a loophole.
Yes, I see he "won," and predictably, Amber will appeal. That in itself is crazy, to entertain the idea of going through what has been very public scrutiny yet again. It is like she just cannot let go of him.
I think she doesn't have anything to lose anymore so she might as well appeal. She also lost in the court of public opinion and she might think that this is the only way of proving herself to the world.
I am intrigued by this case because it seems to me that unlike the patriarchal caricature or image of a narcissistic husband with a borderline wife, we have a narcissistic wife with a borderline husband. Or is it a simple case of narcissism-borderline because to diagnose Johnny Depp with substance abuse would not be an exaggeration and the number of lies that have fallen out of Amber’s mouth suggest a psychopathic personality disorder is worthy of consideration. Is there something that would exclude her from being diagnosed with a PPD? And then the histrionic flavor of her narratives, or is that perfectly normal for someone with an acting skillset? Where do the histrionics fit if she is diagnosed with BPD, as some have suggested? And PTSD as her defense claim? If anyone is suffering from PTSD, I suspect it would be Johnny Depp. Regardless of who wins, I would suggest that the court case has exposed just how toxic many relationships are and what people are willing to endure to maintain them. It also highlights the irony of using the ability to sustain a long-term relationship as a measure of mental health--surely not if this is the quality of the long-term relationship?
@ViktorijaT It sure does show how ugly things can get. In my considered opinion, if Johnny Depp did lash out, it was probably out pain in response to something said that cut to the quick, and personally, I do not think emotional abuse should be taken any more lightly. There is often a dynamic in abusive relationships where the abused almost baits the abuser by doing or saying things that would leave a Saint wanting to commit murder, and I guess the sane thing would be to walk away. So my question is, given that Depp clearly does not want for admirers, why he did not just walk away? Does his substance abuse hide a deeper dependency that trapped him in the relationship? Ultimately, I am not sure either of them should win because it is, in fact, the relationship between them that is on trial, and to have a relationship, both must have contributed to the alchemy that developed between them. Of course, Amber does seem to have gone out of her way to destroy Johnny's reputation, and the charge is defamation, and maybe that is what will swing the jury in his favor. He, on the other hand, has been impeccable. He has also very carefully just described what happened rather than trashed her.
@michelle crowley You raise some good points! I agree with the fact that both of them are at fault for staying in the relationship. The only explanation for why it lasted as long as it did is because of the trauma bond that developed. People in abusive and toxic relationships believe all the empty promises and manipulation their partners feed them so that's why it's hard to walk away. It's even harder if you're isolated and in a bad mental headspace.
And I'm sure he wasn't a saint either, but there is no evidence of the sexual or even physical assault she was accusing him of so I think justice was served.
But keep in mind they both are actors and have ability to pretend perfectly. Like @Daniella Moriarty said gender bias may play its role. Its on record when Amber heard said Johnny depp: Who will trust you, a man victim of domestic abuse. Here is gender bias we are taking about.
But heard's lawyer and psychologists
Presented her very well. On the other hand Johnny Depp have powerful team himself. But during heard's testimony he wasn't serious. The real question to ask is here, why Depp wasn't serious as he should be?
Public should keep in mind, case results will be depend on real evidence not influencers campaign.
You raised a really good point with the acting. As I've seen in Amber's testimonies, to me it does seem like her emotions are acted out. She also turns them off in a matter of seconds once she's interrupted which makes it look even faker. Johnny seemed more genuine in my opinion.
Anyways I noticed some moments where he laughs or giggles as a reaction to her statements. I'm curious though- could this be used against him by Amber's team?
I've pretty much kept myself ignorant of the whole proceedings. So @Daniella commenting gave me an great insight to what's happening.
I think personally one of the things that troubles me is the feeling that the court case seems to have become something of a popularity contest with various social media influencers fighting not over facts but over who they like the most with a facade of concern for the facts.
I also worry about the almost ubiquitous hatred for Amber Heard which is developing (I would say the same for Johnny Depp were the roles reversed). I think, this reiterates why the criminal court system is so needed, and while not even remotely 100% efficacious, there is still an attempt to reason objectively on the evidence.
So for me, the public reaction holds more interest for me personally on a psychological level.
But if anyone can inform me on what evidence there is to date for either side, I would love to play catch up.
This is a very interesting take on the whole situation! Thanks for taking the time out to share it.
I do agree that it's become a social media frenzy so we need to be more discerning about the sources we follow. However, I think that there is a good side to all the publicity it's getting: an opportunity for us to shift our perspectives on male victims.
I'd love to learn more about the psychological aspect of this case too. Could all this hatred that's accumulating in people be a result of personal insecurities- you can't deny that she's breathtaking and for someone who's insecure with their looks this might be the opportunity to make themselves feel better by demonizing her. Of course, this is just a theory about the hate, but maybe there's something to it. It's an interesting topic to research to say the least.
There is some evidence so that you can form your unbiased opinion. Her team provided a lot of voice recordings, pictures and videos that she took while he had some witnesses which testified in his defense. There's also the additional point of Amber being violent with her ex wife (court case) and sister (video proof) while all of Johnny's exes (even the mother of his children who lived with him for about 10 years) have shared that he's never been violent.
@ViktorijaT Oh thanks for the additional info about the nature of the evidence that exists. I had no idea 😮
You're so right about bringing light to the nature of abuse that exists and which traverses all genders. That has to be a good thing to bring awareness to.
I never thought about the bias that might occur due to insecurities that people might feel.
Reading your posts and comments definitely makes me wish I wasn't so ignorant on the case now😂
I've been watching the trial closely and I honestly don't know which way it will go. On one hand there is one hundred percent evidence that she has abused him, and has admitted it herself in audio evidence.
However when the lawyers were arguing, Amber's lawyer apparently said something along the lines of "all we have to do is prove that he hit her once and the case is out". There is definitely gender bias in that people are less likely to believe that a female is the abuser, which is awful in my opinion. I'm worried that there's some truth in what the lawyer said in that if at some point he retaliated to the abuse and she has proof, that his case will be dismissed.
There is also the issue of whether or not Amber has BPD like one of the witnesses suggests, and the text messages that demonstrate that he wasn't quite in his right mind when Johnny was fighting his addiction. There's a lot to consider. There are even body language experts looking in to the behaviour of Johnny and Amber on the stand to see if they detect deceit, but I'm not sure how accurate this would be in a highly tense and emotional setting.
I sincerely hope that he gets justice in this case because there is evidence he was abused and he lost many career opportunities and faced penalities that have not been seen for Amber, despite the proof that has been shown.
Yes, I see he "won," and predictably, Amber will appeal. That in itself is crazy, to entertain the idea of going through what has been very public scrutiny yet again. It is like she just cannot let go of him.
I am intrigued by this case because it seems to me that unlike the patriarchal caricature or image of a narcissistic husband with a borderline wife, we have a narcissistic wife with a borderline husband. Or is it a simple case of narcissism-borderline because to diagnose Johnny Depp with substance abuse would not be an exaggeration and the number of lies that have fallen out of Amber’s mouth suggest a psychopathic personality disorder is worthy of consideration. Is there something that would exclude her from being diagnosed with a PPD? And then the histrionic flavor of her narratives, or is that perfectly normal for someone with an acting skillset? Where do the histrionics fit if she is diagnosed with BPD, as some have suggested? And PTSD as her defense claim? If anyone is suffering from PTSD, I suspect it would be Johnny Depp. Regardless of who wins, I would suggest that the court case has exposed just how toxic many relationships are and what people are willing to endure to maintain them. It also highlights the irony of using the ability to sustain a long-term relationship as a measure of mental health--surely not if this is the quality of the long-term relationship?
But keep in mind they both are actors and have ability to pretend perfectly. Like @Daniella Moriarty said gender bias may play its role. Its on record when Amber heard said Johnny depp: Who will trust you, a man victim of domestic abuse. Here is gender bias we are taking about.
But heard's lawyer and psychologists
Presented her very well. On the other hand Johnny Depp have powerful team himself. But during heard's testimony he wasn't serious. The real question to ask is here, why Depp wasn't serious as he should be?
Public should keep in mind, case results will be depend on real evidence not influencers campaign.
I've pretty much kept myself ignorant of the whole proceedings. So @Daniella commenting gave me an great insight to what's happening.
I think personally one of the things that troubles me is the feeling that the court case seems to have become something of a popularity contest with various social media influencers fighting not over facts but over who they like the most with a facade of concern for the facts.
I also worry about the almost ubiquitous hatred for Amber Heard which is developing (I would say the same for Johnny Depp were the roles reversed). I think, this reiterates why the criminal court system is so needed, and while not even remotely 100% efficacious, there is still an attempt to reason objectively on the evidence.
So for me, the public reaction holds more interest for me personally on a psychological level.
But if anyone can inform me on what evidence there is to date for either side, I would love to play catch up.
Great question