Social media isn’t the best way to follow a trial, which can be inherently complex and often very nuanced
It is arguably the civil trial of the century, one filled with extraordinary details and much dirty laundry. Actor Johnny Depp is suing his ex-wife Amber Heard for $50 million over a 2018 op-ed she wrote for The Washington Post, which chronicled her experiences as a domestic abuse survivor. While Depp was never mentioned by name, his lawyers contend that it was obvious who Heard referred to in the piece, and that the article damaged Depp’s career and reputation. Depp has testified that Disney dropped him from the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise just days after the story hit, and that he lost upwards of $22.5 million to reprise his role as Captain Jack Sparrow. In response, Heard, who is also an actor, has filed a $100 million countersuit – and her legal team has alleged that she was defamed when Depp and his lawyers called her allegations false! The he-said, she-said drama has been widely followed, as the case has been streaming live on both Court TV and Law & Crime. It has also been closely followed on social media, and just this week a variety of hashtags related to the case have been trending, including #JusticeForJohnny, #AmberHeardIsAPsycopath, #AmberHeardIsInnocent and #IStandWithAmberHeard. It is often said, especially in the world of entertainment, there is no such thing as „bad publicity,“ but given the attention this case has garnered that may not be true. „The Depp vs Heard trial is the latest example of how social media has become the new barometer of public opinion that makes or breaks careers,“ explained Anthony Silard, Ph.D., associate professor of leadership and the director of the Center for Sustainable Leadership at Luiss Business School in Rome.
