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In at this time’s on-line tradition, virtually something could be topic to memeification, and probably the most high-profile home violence trial in latest reminiscence is not any exception.
After just a few minutes spent on TikTok — a platform usually, although typically mistakenly, heralded as being a progressive, Gen Z-dominated area for activism and social justice — the algorithm could very nicely begin exhibiting customers trending matters just like the Johnny Depp vs. Amber Heard defamation trial.
Nevertheless, social media customers could also be hard-pressed to search out content material in help of Heard, regardless of the ex-spouses each claiming to be victims of intimate associate violence. In actual fact, the overwhelming majority of content material in regards to the trial posted on TikTok seems to be vehemently towards Heard.
For the reason that very begin of this trial final month, Depp supporters on-line have analyzed Heard’s physique language, actions and testimony with intense scrutiny. As of this writing, the TikTok tag #JusticeforJohnnyDepp has a whopping 10.1 billion views — greater than the tags #AmberHeard (8.4 billion views) and #JusticeforAmberHeard (37.2 million views) mixed, although a lot of the movies in these tags are nonetheless anti-Heard.
Learn extra:
Amber Heard tells courtroom of violence by the hands of Johnny Depp
In keeping with Depp, Heard was a manipulative, abusive and overly “formidable” associate. He testified she abused him bodily and mentally, additionally claiming she severed his finger by throwing a glass bottle at his hand throughout an argument.
Heard, however, claims Depp was the abusive one all through their relationship, allegedly subjecting her to bodily violence on quite a few events. A number of textual content messages from Depp to fellow actor Paul Bettany had been additionally learn aloud in courtroom, wherein Depp tells his buddy he desires to drown, burn and sexually defile Heard’s corpse.
Since Heard’s testimony final week — the place she accused ex-husband Depp of a number of graphic cases of violence towards her, together with a sexual assault the place she alleged Depp penetrated her with a glass bottle — it’s turn into a TikTok development to imitate, mock and forged doubt on her claims.
A number of customers posted movies of themselves lip-syncing over Heard’s testimony. Others paraphrase totally, like person @sansanjovs, who ridiculed Heard’s account of a time when Depp allegedly hit her. The video has 2.1 million likes.
Different TikTok customers have taken to performing out Heard’s testimony totally, seemingly in an try and show the unfeasibility of her recounting. (The audio used within the under clip from @tomshipton has been reduce and altered, showing chronologically completely different from what Heard testified.)
Some social media influencers with large followings have additionally taken very public pro-Depp stances, together with Jessica Val Ortiz, who has 7.7 million followers.
Final week, Ortiz visited the courthouse in Fairfax, Va., the place trial proceedings had been being held. She held a small “Go Johnny” signal because the actor left the courthouse in his car. She additionally filmed a number of presents and letters being thrown to Depp by the window of his automobile.
Learn extra:
Amber Heard testifies alleged Johnny Depp violence — ‘I’ve by no means been so scared in my life’
When Heard left the courthouse in her car, Ortiz filmed the group’s silence. One lady could be heard calling Heard “mendacity” and “narcissistic.”
Maybe probably the most vilifying memeificaton, although, is Depp followers who submit unsubstantiated claims about Heard, alluding to large TikTok audiences Heard has executed medicine on the stand, smuggled alcohol into the courtroom and posed for crying images. Every of the next movies have greater than 1.1 million likes.
Some Depp followers have additionally flexed their artistic muscle groups to capitalize on the worldwide curiosity and spectacle of the trial, all whereas demeaning Heard and denying her allegations.
Within the authorized battle between the 2 stars, each Heard, 36, and Depp, 58, are out to show the opposite because the extra poisonous individual. The preliminary courtroom case started when Depp filed a US$50-million defamation lawsuit over a Washington Put up op-ed penned by Heard in late 2018 about home abuse.
Heard didn’t point out Depp by identify within the article, however the actor alleges his popularity and profession had been nonetheless “devastated” consequently.
Heard is countersuing Depp for $100 million.
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