Depp’s domestic abuse battle sparks intrigue

Screenshot+from+live+trial+on+Law+and+Crime

Screenshot from live trial on Law and Crime

Kiara Zabala, Staff Writer

If you have been anywhere online within these past few weeks, you most likely have heard a thing or two concerning Johnny Depp and Amber Heard heading to trial against one another. Although the world is taking sides in the personal matter, it makes me wonder why we care so much about these celebrities’ personal lives. It makes me wonder why this case is getting so much attention from the entire world. 

Johnny Depp and Amber Heard are in court over defamation over Heard’s accusations. Heard accused Depp of getting physically abusive and labelled herself as a survivor in an article. After said article was released, Depp was almost immediately blackballed in Hollywood. He was dropped from works that he had been a huge part of for years, such as Fantastic Beasts and Pirates of the Caribbean. Despite him building the Pirates franchise from the ground up, Disney dropped him with no hesitation; not even bothering to hear Depp out. 

Now, as they have been in court for quite some time, Depp has come forward and accused Heard of being the abusive one of the two. Depp coming forward and saying that he was abused by a woman is why I believe this case is getting so much media attention.  

You always hear in the media of a woman being the abused one; hardly do you hear any of men coming forward. Perhaps it has to do with the very toxic masculinity our society has that men have to be tough. Or the fact that some believe men cannot be abused by women because then he is not a real man.  

This case is giving those folks that don’t come forward a voice. People of all ages and backgrounds are coming to see that a man can be abused just like a woman can, despite how manly or even his status quo. Many more people know who Depp is compared to Heard, who really has not had many major breaks in Hollywood.  

So, why are we obsessing over these two people that we do not know? Because despite how you may feel about who did what, this case will go down in history as the first case to have brought to all media attention that men suffer too. Men can hurt too. Men can bleed too. Just most men stay quiet in fear of being called weak or saying how that never happened in the first place. 

We do not know how this case will end up when it is done in a few weeks. All we can hope for is Heard to be blackballed from Hollywood worse than Depp because she ruined his life, if we choose to believe Johnny’s side. If Depp comes out in his favor at the end of this all, he has even stated he will not go back to the Pirates franchise.  

After Depp said he would not return to the franchise, In The Magic reports that he told the court, “They didn’t remove my character from the rides. They didn’t stop selling dolls of Captain Jack Sparrow. They didn’t stop selling anything. They just didn’t want … something trailing behind me that they’d find.” Depp is strong for being able to fight against his abuser but even stronger to speak of how Disney still is making money off of him despite no longer wanting to work with him. 

Depp and Heard is a very messy case that I believe will just continue to get more jumbled as time goes on. At the end of it all, Depp is making so many changes in the world just we just cannot see yet. Maybe one day, hopefully soon, all those who are harmed will be able to point a finger at their abuser and finally get the justice they deserve. Johnny Depp continues to make waves, even when he isn’t playing the part.