The Public Owes Amber Heard an Apology.

We all owe Amber Heard an apology.

During the 2022 defamation trial in Fairfax County, Virginia, the overwhelming public sentiment was that the Aquaman (2018) actress lied about the abuse she suffered from ex-husband Johnny Depp.

In picking a side, feisty internet users ignored the prior U.K. Sun trial–Depp accused the newspaper of libel, but a judge found that the evidence backed up the outlet’s claim that the Pirates of the Caribbean star was a “wife beater.”

It was kind of a scary time to be a woman on the internet–that is, if you weren’t already convinced of Johnny Depp’s innocence. Many of us saw the narcissistic red flags when he filed a lawsuit over an Op-Ed in The Washington Post in which Heard identified herself as a victim of domestic abuse but didn’t name him explicitly.

Amber Heard as Mera in 'Aquaman' — Credit: DC Studios

Depp sued Heard for defamation in Virginia, a state with notoriously weak anti-SLAPP laws. These laws protect free speech and allow for the easy dismissal of frivolous lawsuits. Of course, his attorneys claimed that the location boiled down to its proximity to the headquarters of The Washington Post.

It was hard to speak out in favor of Amber Heard in the summer of 2022. The most you could get away with saying was that they were “both abusive,” even though experts widely dismiss “mutual abuse” as a myth. When someone lashes out in response to abusive behavior, they’re experiencing a trauma response, not abusing their abuser.

Heard was subjected to humiliating questioning on the stand and disgusting, violent threats on social media. The very people who claimed to want to protect Johnny Depp’s reputation used the same language he used in a series of viral text messages to his friend, actor Paul Bettany.

“Let’s burn Amber!!!” Depp wrote in one message.

“Let’s drown her before we burn her!!!” he added later. “I will f**k her burnt corpse afterwards to make sure she’s dead.”

Johnny Depp as Captain Jack Sparrow. — Credit: Disney

Depp’s attorneys pushed a conspiracy theory that Heard had defecated in the couple’s shared bed while he was away on a trip. However, the couple shared a dog known to have incontinence problems. Furthermore, Depp previously joked about leaving fecal matter outside Heard’s door as revenge.

In the years since the trial, we’ve learned more about Depp’s history of violence on film sets and in interpersonal relationships.

I recently saw this viral post on X (formerly Twitter). In response to a question about celebrities that deserve an apology from the general public, @mattxiv wrote:

“amber heard”

amber heard https://t.co/Hv6XHAu4hD

— matt (@mattxiv) September 29, 2024

Years later, the post amassed thousands of comments calling Heard a villain, an abuser, and other heinous names. As Depp’s career continues, his ex-wife has been reduced to an internet meme. Even though he also lost a libel trial and was legally deemed an abuser.

Even as a nobody on the internet, I feel immense regret for ever calling the Johnny Depp v. Amber Heard trial “drama” that I wanted to stay out of. If the public can turn on the Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom (2023) star because her abuser was a man they liked in that one Disney movie, think of how hard it is for relatively anonymous abuse victims to seek justice.

Amber Heard as Mera — Credit: DC Studios

I don’t think anyone who still supports Johnny Depp in 2024 will flip a switch and apologize to Amber Heard. But fence-sitters like me can. She won’t see it–but the people in vulnerable situations in your life might.

Does the public owe Amber Heard an apology? In the comments, share your opinion with Inside the Magic.