Amber Heard and Johnny Depp outside the court during the defamation trial. (Getty/ Drew Angerer and Getty/ Consolidated News Pictures/ Cliff Owen)
Amber Heard has blasted Johnny Depp’s celebratory TikTok following the pair’s defamation trial verdict, insisting he is increasing fear among victims of domestic abuse.
The trial concluded on 1 June and saw the seven-person jury mostly side with Depp in his defamation lawsuit against Heard over a 2018 op-ed in which she discussed being a victim of abuse. However, the the court also ruled in favour of one claim in Heard’s countersuit against Depp.
Depp was awarded $10 million in compensatory damages and $350,000 in punitive damages, while Heard was awarded $2 million.
Following the culmination of the trial, Depp decided the time was right to join TikTok and on Tuesday (7 June), he posted his first video.
Depp’s first TikTok is a montage of himself playing guitar and typing on a typewriter, interspersed with clips of screaming fans, overlaid with a retro filter and set to reggae, painting him as some sort of born-in-the-wrong-era rock star.
In the caption, he wrote: “To all of my most treasured, loyal and unwavering supporters. We’ve been everywhere together, we have seen everything together.
“We have walked the same road together. We did the right thing together, all because you cared. And now, we will all move forward together.
“You are, as always, my employers and once again I am whittled down to no way to say thank you, other than just by saying thank you. So, thank you. My love and respect, JD.”
@johnnydeppTo all of my most treasured, loyal and unwavering supporters. We’ve been everywhere together, we have seen everything together. We have walked the same road together. We did the right thing together, all because you cared. And now, we will all move forward together. You are, as always, my employers and once again I am whittled down to no way to say thank you, other than just by saying thank you. So, thank you. My love & respect, JD♬ Stranger – Love Joys
But Heard hit back at the Depp’s TikTok debut, with her spokesperson saying: “As Johnny Depp says he’s ‘moving forward’, women’s rights are moving backward.
“The verdict’s message to victims of domestic violence is… be afraid to stand up and speak out.”
Amber Heard left ‘heartbroken’ by verdict and plans to appeal
When the jury reached its verdict in the Depp v Heard trial, Amber Heard released a statement in which she said she felt disappointment “beyond words”.
“I’m heartbroken that the mountain of evidence still was not enough to stand up to the disproportionate power, influence and sway of my ex-husband,” she wrote.
“I’m even more disappointed with what this verdict means for other women. It is a setback. It sets back the clock to a time when a woman who spoke up and spoke up could be publicly shamed and humiliated.
“It sets back the idea that violence against women should be taken seriously.”
Her spokesperson also told The New York Times that Heard planned to appeal the verdict.