Part 2 -AIBU to wonder why so many people assume Johnny Depp is the good guy and Amber Heard is the villain

[StormzyinaTCup]

Just thought I would start a follow on thread for anyone interested in the trial. I have kept it in AIBU so that it is easier for previous posters from Part 1 to find.
We are halfway through and have heard JD's testimony so next week we will hear from AH.

I think they're both pretty awful. I think he probably did assault her and she assaulted him, possibly in response, possibly not. He brought the case however and she is counter claiming. For that alone, I think this circus deserves not to result in financial damages for him. There is a propensity to disbelieve female victims and to castigate them (its the witch trials all over again). I think the psychologist was spot on in her assessment of Heard's personality disorders but they are both artists, and I suspect pds are quite common amongst that lot.

This has potentially serious repercussions for victims of domestic violence anywhere there is an adversarial system I think; it will encourage some men to sue women who make claims which do not proceed for lack of evidence or which fail in court. Ditto rape and sexual assault cases.

I think I must be one of the very few people who finds Depp really annoying. He is so obviously acting his over-acted part of the loveable, slightly mischevious rogue with his overly slow dialogue, studiously deep voice. Its a performance. Heard is performing the role of the anguished victim too but I think its at least partly genuine as she looks worse. Depp looks better than he has done in years. Have a friend who met him in real life and she said he did the same thing with her, also very flirty, but switched out of his role and back in again lightning fast when someone came to talk to him about business. She was still completely, and rather disturbingly, dazzled by him and by his star power.

Why doesn't he concentrate on making some small indy films to resurrect his career instead of his obsession with the courts?

The whole circus of televising this is quite disturbing, as is the amount of evidence which appears to not have been subjected to much if any form of case management.

I see Kate Moss has said nothing at all. She usually doesn't say much but the fact that she has said nothing in his defence is interesting. Paradis is on the payroll I suspect.

I am divorcing my H as we speak, he is an horrendous person with, I think NPD. Proper NPD, not just the much bandied narc. you see everywhere on mumsnet.

Every single warning sign he has exhibited. 6 months away from him I, think, gave me the strength (he has made me very ill) I have already physically left, as it were.

In Spain, it is a no fault divorce so I am just getting divorced 😕I do not care. I just want to be safe, in peace. I would have loved my say though and in the UK he would not have come out of this lightly.

Anyway, my observations are this...

Mostly, victims of DV (and myself) take years to leave, getting more and more trapped and isolated. Average in Spain is 10 years. 15 months of marriage is an odd time.

I will walk away and certainly NEVER do anything to gain revenge, like write something defamatory. My revenge will be being free and eventually leaving the country and never coming back and wanting nothing to do with him ever again.

I, like @MrsH1983 and other PPs, smelled a rat with AH instantly. I am convinced she is the abuser. I spot all the signs, all of them. I do not like DP nor fancy him, nor have seen any film he is in. But I believe him.

One thing for sure, in court my STBX will not laugh, no, he will be totally straightfaced, believable and silently menacing., the good upstanding guy. He knows how to play the game and will try and get my share of the house, guaranteed. JD laughing, IMO, while stupid, shows to me the opposite of what most think.

Obviously, just my opinion, but tis what I think.

PPs who said they lost it and suddenly lashed out, I think that is what JD did.

It will be so interesting today, normally I wouldn[t be interested, but it is timely!

*JD not DP!

Why are some so sure she is the victim? The one thing this case is doing is putting forward that women aren't always the victim. Men can be victims. That is a good thing. Men are rarely believed in cases of domestic violence.

U.S. here.
Starbucks & other places have put tip jars on their counters and marked them “Johnny Depp” and “Amber Heard.”
The Depp jars are close to filled while the Heard jars are empty or nearly empty.
It’s a clever way to gauge public opinion. Hardly accurate, though.

Then, there’s the ‘case’ of Ms. Heard promising to donate all her divorce settlement proceedings between two places — one was a hospital and I forget the other, sorry. So she donated some of the money, but not nearly all of the money, and was accused of only promising her donations as a “stunt.”
I also believe Elon Musk gave her a substantial amount of cash, but can’t remember if that was for other debts or for the donations. I believe the donations remain unfulfilled.

I also believe she was credibly accused of abuse by a female partner several years ago — and for some reason, I think it happened in public, at an airport. I’m foggy on everything but the accusation, however.

As for Depp, most of his ex-partners have voluntarily come forward and said they saw not a hint of violence or abuse from him, the latest I saw being Jennifer Grey who was effusive in her praise, in an interview on Good Morning America.

The sad thing is one of these people is being truthful and one is not and I have no idea which one is which. Trials and accusations like these ruin peoples’ lives and that’s awful. I pray that justice prevails and the truth wins out and that the correct person is punished, if that be the court’s ruling. As PP have said, it’s a civil case so it’s only money — and the court of public opinion is what really matters.
Two lives are already in shambles, one unlikely to ever recover fully, win or lose this current lawsuit.

Jennifer Grey who also has been widely publicised as describing him as paranoid and jealous?

www.usmagazine.com/celebrity-news/news/jennifer-grey-says-johnny-depp-was-paranoid-during-engagement/amp/

I think they are both have narcissistic and unsavoury traits. Neither have showered themselves in glory during this process, quite the opposite and I’m not sure JD’s career will ever recover.

I can’t believe the stuff that was said yesterday - usually alleged rape and sexual abuse victims are allowed anonymity in criminal cases - it’s so weird that this stuff can be said and televised

The use of cocaine and alcohol makes people paranoid which he has been open about using

why are her claims of sexual violation so hard to believe

he was destructive on set not her, he was the one looking bloated and like a sad old man desperate to keep hold of his youth not her he is the one that lashed out at film crew not her

I don’t think it matters what comes out some will refuse to believe he could be anything but a nice guy regardless of how drunk or high he is abs the impact of the drugs after the come down and all those awful negative feelings it leaves you with he will still always be a stand up guy

odd that I don’t know anyone who has abused drunk and drugs in such a way to be so wonderful to be around but the amazing JD is still always always a gentleman

There are those who are firmly on one side and only argue from one point and only attack one side. Others have a problem not in believing if Johnny is capable but that Amber has not been believable. I am firmly in the camp this was a toxic relationship that needed both sides in therapy. Amber has taken the role of victim in her own words and removed any responsibility but has lost credibility in that she is capable of lying.

I also believe she was credibly accused of abuse by a female partner several years ago — and for some reason, I think it happened in public, at an airport. I’m foggy on everything but the accusation, however.

She was arrested for suspected assault on her wife Tasya van Ree. Apparently she grabbed her arm. There was no subsequent conviction. Van Ree is on public record as stating that Heard was wrongfully accused of an event which had been misconstrued.

I’ve started paying attention to JD and AH in a way I never did before this implosion. found a gossip blog from 2012 talking about him splitting with VP and blaming her. Found the Reporter article which contains this unsavoury section:
‘Among the lowlights is a text from Depp to CAA agent Christian Carino, who previously repped Heard, in which he wrote: “[Heard is] begging for total global humiliation. She’s gonna get it. I’m gonna need your texts about San Francisco brother … I’m even sorry to ask … But she sucked [Elon Musk’s] crooked dick and he gave her some shitty lawyers … I have no mercy, no fear and not an ounce of emotion or what I once thought was love for this gold digging, low level, dime a dozen, mushy, pointless dangling overused flappy fish market … I’m so fucking happy she wants to fight this out!!! She will hit the wall hard!!! And I cannot wait to have this waste of a cum guzzler out of my life!!! I met fucking sublime little Russian here … Which makes me realize the time I blew on that 50 cent stripper … I wouldn’t touch her with a goddam glove.”’

www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/hes-radioactive-inside-johnny-depps-self-made-implosion-4101726/

im interested in what is proven to be lies by AH and what’s propaganda - been reading about JD lawyer and his alleged links

Except most people I've seen who aren't supporting Johnny Depp seem to have a far more balanced view of the situation. They aren't blindly supporting her and they aren't blindly supporting him. It makes absolutely no sense to completely demonise Heard and elevate Depp to poor victim angel status.

This case has been absolutely catastrophic for domestic violence on all sides. As so.eone who experienced domestic violence and on going psychological abuse after we broke up by an ex - Depp's behaviour in court really troubles me. The jokey everyone's funny person attitude is often used to cover up abuse (by both female and male perpetrators) and everyone is just lapping it up.

Just want to say for the record that prior to watching this case I had no idea who AH was and have never been a fan of JD. I'm trying to take it as if they are 2 regular people and forming my own views on it.

These two are both utterly terrible people.

I remember a few years ago for work I was interviewing someone about narcissism, she was someone who trained professionals to spot the signs. We were talking about the case (as details emerged), and I remember her distinctly saying to me that in her professional opinion, AH displayed all the traits of a narcissist. I believe that this, in combination with JD's clear drug and alchol issues along with his jealously and his misogny make them an utterly toxic couple.

Based on the texts that JD has sent, the way he's spoken about AH, and even VP, I cant see a studio touching him with a barge pole. The way he describes women, it's utter hatred of women isn't it? Combined with his unreliability, he would be completely uninsurable.

Same as AH, no studio would touch her either. She's not someone well known enough or liked enough to justify the gamble on her. movie goers would actively boycott her films, so no studio would hire her.

I personally think they've both abused each other, physically and emotionally. There are no winners here.

I am pretty neutral - not a supporter of either and my position is this is two damaged individuals with a lot of childhood trauma that in the context of this relationship dynamic became very toxic and that both acted in very unhealthy and abusive ways towards the other. I know nothing really about either as actors, never watched their movies. I mostly get drawn into stories where mental health features prominently.

I have seen the same on both sides - some are pro Amber and anti Depp, some are pro Depp and Anti Amber, some are fairly neutral but leaning more towards one person being more truthful (without being pro or anti anyone), etc. I haven't seen at all that one 'side' takes a more balanced view. I think by nature - those that take a side in who they support already have an unbalanced view.

It's about to start

There is entirely of very, very nasty stuff about Heard and in total support of Depp all over the Internet at the moment particularlyon Facebook.

People who think he should be given his roles back for Pirates and in Fantastic Beasts. That the UK case is totally wrong etc. There is a huge body of support for Depp that is a totally unmeasured response. It is completely crackers and terrifying and underlined all my fears and difficulties from when I was abused. Horrific.

Amber became the villain firstly by Depp supporters with too much of a obsession but this has grown during and after the first trial and now this trial as her truth doesn’t seem to include his truth or her own words. She created a doubt in many who believed her so not only lost her support but created more support for him. That doubt increased not only in Depp being guilty but the ability to believe victims both women and men. What’s worse for Amber is she can win this case but at the cost of public opinion.

Well, she can't really donate her divorce settlement to charity as she needs to pay legal fees which might potentially bankrupt her and that would be viewed as an intentional deprivation of assets if done within I believe the preceding 5 years in the US, which is a criminal offence.

Heard, for all her faults, did not raise this action. And her legal team have done the standard manovoure of asking for the case to be closed due to lack of evidence, which is what any lawyer does to make it more likely costs will awarded in favour of their side. So this is all Depp's doing - the trial, the money spent on legal fees, everything.

So be fair, some of what she is being blamed for is perfectly normal sensible behaviour which would potentially land her in trouble if she didn't do it that way.

The Starbucks tip jars are pretty revolting.

Loving this cross examination. He's doing a really good job.

That’s her lies though, she had already donated the seven million

Interesting, I’m thinking the witness is doing really well. I did miss the beginning but she’s much less evasive than the JD therapist I think.