Amber Heard’s Allegations About Johnny Depp: How #MeToo Was Hijacked For Gain
The current Johnny Depp Vs Amber Heard court case has opened the eyes of the public to the downside of the #MeToo movement and the damage of “trial by media.” Acting legend Depp has been the intense focus of innumerable negative headlines since Heard first went public with her allegations several years ago. As a result, it wasn’t long before Depp felt the crushing effects of what it means to stand accused in the public eye.
How was Depp, the man behind the headlines, going to have a fair chance to present his side and preserve his reputation against the steady onslaught of social media detractors, media pile-ons and the army of #MeToo adherents who seemed to already have judged him guilty? Depp is now having a chance to have his voice heard, yet he has already paid a high cost: he has already lost things which cannot be recovered, after having to live with the damage of accusations and having his life and personal struggles pulled apart in front of a worldwide audience.
The #MeToo movement has become a haven for false accusers with an axe to grind. The first seeds of the trend were planted with the honorable hope of providing justice and a platform to those who have been abused: in this no one can deny the morally tight ambition of its inception. Over time, though, we have seen as a society the downside of #MeToo. Shady corners of the collective movement have grown — those altogether darker places, whereby people are judged guilty by accusation alone; whereby people lose their reputation and even career on unfounded claims, and where the unhealthy attitude of “believe all victims” (a slogan which is dangerously open to abuse) remains so precious to uncritical minds that people are out for an individual’s blood at the mere suggestion of misdeed.
It seems that certain pockets of the movement have dissolved into something altogether darker. How have things become so ugly? How has #MeToo managed to trample upon its own good intentions?
Those behind #MeToo would say they want to support victims. Whilst nobody can deny that accusers should be listened to and treated seriously, it is paramount to the pursuit of truth that the public and media refrain from using words like “victim” until it is proven that a crime has in fact occurred. It could further be argued that the mainstream media should refrain from headlines that paint an individual as guilty of accusations when it is not yet proven that they are.
The power of words, in this world of clickbait articles, social media trends and hashtag movements, are more powerful than ever, and have the ability to destroy a person’s reputation with little or no evidence of guilt.
In light of the #MeToo movement, Amber Heard claiming herself as a “victim seeking justice” has proven a valuable move. Her accusations have, undoubtedly, cost Depp a lot. Yet how much were we actually told by Heard and the media before Depp was painted as the guilty party? How informed were we? We now know audio exists of Heard admitting to actually hitting Depp, as well as being verbally abusive and belittling towards him. In fact, in the current court case taking place in Virginia, Depp has claimed he was the abused party — and, it seems, he has many receipts.
Johnny Depp serves to us today as a stark reminder that accusations in themselves are not the same as proof. The much-loved slogan “believe all victims” needs to be readdressed. Yes, as a society we absolutely want to stand with true victims, those who have been harmed and hurt — but we cannot forget that not everyone who claims they are a victim is one. Sadly, that is just not the world we live in, and people’s lives and careers should never, under any circumstances, be viewed merely as “collateral damage.”
Perhaps the world is slowly waking up. Many public figures are — in a turn of events — now standing up for Johnny Depp where they once stood silent, and furthermore, many articles and entertainers are critical of Amber Heard’s allegations and are indeed of the belief that she took part in abuse towards Depp during their relationship.
Depp may finally be having his say on the stand, but the price of the accusations made about him has already been paid. “I have already lost,” Depp said, earlier on in the trial. “No matter the outcome of this trial, the second those accusations were made against me, and they metastasized as fodder for the media, I lost. I’ll carry that for the rest of my life.” Depp’s words are perhaps the ultimate reflection of a #MeToo movement and journalism gone wrong.
It is time #MeToo looked beyond the impact it has on Hollywood and considers the wider, more far reaching implications it has on ordinary young women. Of course it is a positive thing to ignite the conversation around abuse in the public arena and to shine a light on the magnitude of the problem, but the movement is fast leaving a dubious legacy in its wake.
