If the two stars of the big screen have both been found guilty of defamation, it is indeed Amber Heard the big loser. While Johnny Depp must now pay $ 2 million to his ex-girlfriend, the sentence for the latter is much more severe and amounts to nearly $ 15 million for accusing the actor of domestic violence. A sum that she is not able to pay according to her lawyer who appealed. This judgment gave rise to a major question in the public debate across the Atlantic: is this a defeat for the cause of women and the Metoo movement?
Two weeks ago, for example, an editorial in New York Times was titled “Amber Heard and the Death of Metoo” while other newspapers wondered why the actress was hated so much on the Internet.
To find answers to these questions, all these media agree that Amber Heard is not what we can call the “perfect victim”. For example, she admitted during the hearings to having responded to Johnny Depp and having hit her in self-defense. The couple’s therapist also said he diagnosed mutual abuse, so for the New York TimesAmber Heard has become the ideal figure for a Metoo “backlash”, translation of “backlash”.
What are the consequences for the liberation of women’s speech?
Especially since with this trial followed live on social networks, the speech, the tears or even the facial expressions of the actress have been distorted and mocked on a large scale, in particular because of the immense mobilization of the pros Johnny Depp , ready to do anything to defend their idol.
Treated as a witch, Amber Heard, for example, has been the target of thousands of death threats. Today, therefore, the question arises of the consequences that this affair will have on the freedom of speech of other women in view of the way in which that of the actress has turned against her.
In addition, other cases of this type could make the headlines in the coming months. In the United States, rocker singer Marilyn Manson has filed a libel suit against his ex-girlfriend, actress Evan Rachel Wood, who accuses him of rape.