In April 2022, actors Amber Heard and Johnny Depp's legal troubles took center stage as the estranged pair faced off in a $100 million defamation trial. At the center of it all was Heard's 2018 op-ed for The Washington Post, in which she self-identifies as a survivor of domestic abuse and sexual violence but refrains from naming Depp as her abuser. Depp subsequently sued Heard for $50 million, accusing her of defamation. Heard then countersued for $100 million, claiming Depp had attempted to slander her name and smear her career.
The trial itself, which took place at Virginia's Fairfax County Circuit Court, was ugly from the get-go. But along the way, it grew even uglier, thanks to a social media frenzy largely fueled by impassioned Depp fans. Countless online accounts launched support campaigns for the actor, who simply could do no wrong in their eyes, alongside hate campaigns against Heard.
