18
Credit: ABCIn 2022, the world was relying on media to get them through multiple lockdowns and illnesses that were still ongoing from the pandemic, and with this came a unified stance on the public following similar large stories. More than ever, there were people at home, looking to be entertained. So, when Amber Heard and Johnny Depp took their dramatic abuse allegations trial to the public, the world watched.
Now with Depp v Heard premiering on Netflix on August 16, the trial, which has been closed since June of last year, will once again open for the public to see, but this time, we may take a different opinion on the Pirates of the Caribbean actor.
Things have been tough for Captain Jack Sparrow, aka Johnny Depp, after his recent health scare. Now, the film star’s health seems to still be negatively impacted by his substance abuse illness, which happened when he collapsed in a Hungarian hotel. This resulted in a cancelled show for the Hollywood Vampires in Budapest.
It seems that Johnny Depp’s health was reportedly severely impacted, which caused the show to be cancelled. Sources declared that Depp was over-excited; he couldn’t even leave the hotel. A doctor was called to see if there was anything more wrong with him than simply overdoing it as a rock star. As we now know, Depp’s illness was due to a relapse of substance abuse — an issue commonly brought up during the Johnny Depp and Amber Heard (Aquaman 2018) lawsuit.
Now that Depp has once again come a little too close to his iconic character Jack Sparrow in terms of substance abuse, the actor is suffering the consequences. He has been seen walking with both a cane and crutches as of late, showing he is unable to walk unassisted. Page Six reports, “Johnny Depp arrived in Boston Friday using the assistance of a cane ahead of his concert — which was originally postponed due to his ankle injury. The “Pirates of the Caribbean” star, 60, appeared to be all smiles despite using a mobility device ahead of his Friday night show with his band, the Hollywood Vampires”.
The report continued to share current social announcements made by The Hollywood Vampires. The band — also comprised of Alice Cooper, Joe Perry and Tommy Henriksen , “We are sad to share that the Hollywood Vampires will be rescheduling our three US tour dates this coming week; Johnny has sustained a painful injury to his ankle following his recent appearances and has been advised by his doctor not to travel.”
All of this behavior feels like an encapsulated version of the Depp that Heard once described in the trial, a trial that we will now take a look at with fresh eyes, after Depp’s recent behavior is still fresh in our minds. Before we jump in on what the documentary has already started to share, let’s remind ourselves of the facts.
Depp v Heard: The Facts
The Edward Scissorhands star has been in the limelight over the past few years, not only for his spectacular work on film but due to his crumbling personal life. If you’ve been following Inside the Magic for any length of time, you’ve probably seen some of our extensive coverage of the Johnny Depp vs Amber Heard lawsuit. The historic Johnny Depp and Amber Heard defamation lawsuit occurred in Fairfax, Virginia, but the internet watched worldwide. Depp was suing ex-wife Heard for $50 million following a 2018 op-ed piece regarding her then-alleged experience as a victim, and subsequent survivor, of domestic viewing. Heard was also countersuing the Corpse Bride star for $100 million.
This civil case came on the heels of Depp’s November 2020 libel lawsuit loss that cost him his starring roles in both The Walt Disney Company’s Pirates of the Caribbean franchise and Warner Bros. Fantastic Beasts Harry Potter spinoff series. The Jack Sparrow actor denied the domestic violence allegations from the start, with even his ex-partners, Vanessa Paradis and Winona Ryder, speaking out in his defense at various points in time. As we now know, Depp was proven innocent.
That being said, Depp’s professional life took severe hits due to Amber Heard’s false allegations, and just recently, Mr. Depp revealed a self-portrait that represented the most difficult five years of his life, which took place during his time and divorce from Amber Heard. The actor stated that he made the painting during a “dark” and “confusing” time in his life, which likely aligns with the past few years when his trauma was publically aired.
Johnny Depp (Pirates Of The Caribbean: The Curse Of The Black Pearl (2003), Pirates Of The Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest (2006), Pirates Of The Caribbean: At World’s End (2007), Pirates Of The Caribbean: On Stranger Tides (2011), and Pirates Of The Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales (2017)) has, as we noted at the beginning of this article, recently fallen ill due to a relapse in substance abuse. Fans have rallied around the film star in prayer, wishing the best for the star. We have seen fans come together to support Johnny Depp many times in the recent past. Not only did hundreds of thousands petition to have him reinstated as Captain Jack Sparrow in the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise, but they made hashtag #JusticeForJohnnyDepp go viral.
Others shared more prayer sentiments saying, “Praying for Johnny’s health, and “May he get well soon. Praying for him.” Another fan said, “It would be sad to lose such a great talent,” fearing the worst. The cause of Depp’s unconsciousness has not been revealed at the moment, but it does not seem his status is life-threatening.
Depp v Heard: The Documentary
The new Netflix mini-series Depp v Heard will soon drop, and is described as:
Depp v. Heard, the new limited series from director Emma Cooper, covers the trial with the goal of presenting a neutral overview of what happens when the court of public opinion starts to overshadow reality. For the first time, the three-part series presents Depp and Heard’s testimony side-by-side, using 200 hours of live-streamed trial coverage from the mainstream news and citizen commentators on TikTok and Twitter. Ultimately, Depp v. Heard interrogates the role social media played in the trial, raising provocative, uncomfortable questions about how the conversations happening outside the courtroom may have influenced the outcome.
The documentary will be using the court room footage we saw in the past, but this time, it seems, with a differnet angle. The trailer dropped a few weeks ago, and after watching it, it seems that the goal is to make the viewer question if the correct verdict was made – pointing that Depp is not innocent.
The clips even share that Depp was the one who wanted the cameras, almost to create a sort of show out of this horrendous situation, Amber did not want that to happen. One lawyer in the trailer said, “I would argue that this is a PR campaign disguised as a defamation case”. It is clear that this series plans to share both sides of the story, whilst highlighting the public’s reaction during the 2022 case, once again raising the question: Did Johnny Depp do it? Or not?
It will be interesting to see how this rebirth of the trial affects the actor, and if it brings a positive light onto Amber Heard, who had been the butt of many jokes during the trial.
What do you think of the Depp v. Heard series? Will Depp be proven “guilty” by the media this time around?