Amber Heard, who lost a defamation suit filed by her ex-husband Johnny Depp after six unbearable weeks of a live broadcast, said she had “never felt any further away from [her] humanity “while experiencing the frantic reaction of the public against it.
“That was the most humiliating and horrible thing I’ve ever been through,” Heard said in an interview with Savannah Guthrie on Today, part of which aired Tuesday. “I felt less than human.”
Heard said the experience was “surreal and difficult,” but maintained his testimony and accusations against Depp.
Heard was sued for defamation by Depp for writing an opinion piece (in which Depp was not named) about being a victim of domestic abuse. During the trial, Heard testified about the abusive relationship between her and Depp, and said that Depp beat and sexually assaulted her. Depp, on the other hand, argued that he had “never beaten” a woman, and claimed his texts on burning Heard and “fucking.”[ing] his “burned corpse” were an attempt at “abstract humor.”
A jury found that Heard defamed Depp by writing the opinion piece and awarded him $ 10.35 million. Heard also received $ 2 million after the jury found she was defamed when Depp’s lawyer described her allegations as fraudulent.
But the trial was also notable for the public vitriol mountain aimed at Heard. His heartbreaking testimony was mocked non-stop on social media, where there was overwhelming support for Depp, and content creators took advantage of the trial to increase views on their channels. Outside the courtroom, crowds of Depp fans showed up every day to greet and harass Heard, calling her a “liar and a gold digger.”
“Even someone who is sure that I deserve all this hatred and vitriol, even if you think I’m lying, you still can’t tell me, look me in the eye and tell me, that you think on social media. There have been a fair representation, “Heard told Guthrie. “You can’t tell me you think this was fair.”
Heard’s lawyers and his supporters have questioned why a trial with such prominent figures was broadcast live in the first place. He was heard to say that “the vast majority of this trial was played on social media” and suggested that he influenced the jury.
“How could they not?” she said. “I think even the most well-intentioned jury would have been unable to avoid it.”
Depp’s lawyers have denied that the jury was influenced by the representation of the trial made by social media.