From Pirates of the Caribbean to Alice in Wonderland, Johnny Depp has always played extraordinary roles to make our imagination soar as a child. However recently, reality has taken over. 

In May 2016, Amber Heard, a 30-year-old actress, most known for her role as Mera in Aquaman, arrived at a Los Angeles court seeking a restraining order against her then husband, Johnny Depp. This brought a storm to the quiet and private life that Depp has had for many years. 

In December 2018, after the divorce was finalized with Heard receiving $7 million, she wrote an op-ed for The Washington Post, where she spoke about the treatment of women in domestic abuse cases. 

However, in 2019, Depp sued Heard for $50 million for defamation over the Washington Post article. Depp’s lawyer, Adam Waldman, told Rolling Stone that Heard “is not a victim of domestic abuse, she is a perpetrator…We have now issued subpoenas to Amber Heard…to explain the avalanche of video, audio, photographic and testimonial evidence,” This suit is still going on in the United States.

Earlier this summer, Depp fought News Group Newspapers, the publisher of The Sun, after a 2018 article where Depp was called a “wife beater”. Depp sued both the publisher and the executive editor Dan Wootton for libel. And so, the three-week case began.

Both sides revealed massive amounts of evidence against the other on their violence. Beginning from Heard admitting to hitting Depp and pelting him with pots, pans, and vases included in an audio confession made in 2015. 

“I’m sorry that I didn’t, uh, uh, hit you across the face in a proper slap, but I was hitting you, it was not punching you.” Heard tells Depp as an attempt to downplay what had happened that evening.

Although Heard is an ambassador for women’s rights and an outspoken domestic violence advocate, she taunts Depp telling him that he is “such a baby” and to “grow up”.

There were many pictures given by Depp as evidence of the violence he has received. Some include disturbing pictures such as a severed finger when Heard allegedly threw a bottle at him. 

Heard also provided the court with evidence made up of pictures of bruises on her face and hair that Heard claims Depp had tore off of her head. Also, Heard mentioned that Depp “would become a totally different person, often delusional and violent. We called that version of Johnny, ‘the Monster’.”

Three months after the trial began, Judge Mr Justice Nicol said the Sun had proved what was in the article as “substantially true”. In doing so, Nicol referred to 14 separate incidents that The Sun’s lawyers cited.

 Heard’s lawyer revealed that “those of us present for the London High Court trial, this decision and judgement is not a surprise. Very soon, we will be presenting even more voluminous evidence in the US.” Even so, Depp has kept on denying all claims. His lawyer claims, “the judgement is so flawed that it would be ridiculous for Mr. Depp not to appeal this decision.” 

With this outcome, four days after the court case, on November 6, Warner Brothers asked Depp to resign from the role of Grindelwald in “Fantastic Beasts 3.”  

Many are frustrated with the results of the case and of Depp stepping down. A high school senior mentioned, “It’s disgusting that she got away with her actions and will go on to live her life without any consequences while Johnny will have to live with the trauma from the abuse of that relationship. I’m disappointed with how the court ruled despite all the evidence that proved Amber’s abusive actions. It’s telling about our justice system’s stance on domestic abuse victims.”

On the contrary some are listening to the outcome of the case and have stated, “…well that is the result so I think Amber is the one receiving abuse. There is no such thing as mutual violence so it’s got to be one or the other. And if the court ruled saying that Johnny Depp is the perpetrator then that’s it.”

Even after the libel case has closed, Heard stands her ground and Depp fights for his innocence. There are still many debates going on as fans have continued to give support to both parties.