Johnny Depp wins defamation suit against ex-wife Amber Heard
Fox Nation host Nancy Grace joined 'America's Newsroom' to discuss why she was not surprised by the verdict in the Depp-Heard defamation trial.
Twitter users slammed Rolling Stone after the liberal magazine released a piece that highlighted abuse survivors upset by Johnny Depp’s defamation suit win against ex-wife Amber Heard.
The culture news article, written by EJ Dickson and entitled "‘Men Always Win’: Survivors ‘Sickened’ by the Amber Heard Verdict,"’ painted the verdict as a loss for the MeToo movement and survivors of abuse.
"It’s been bizarre to see friends I thought were supportive posting disgusting Heard memes," one victim of domestic abuse told Rolling Stone. She added that the "global humiliation" of Heard was her "worst fear playing out on a public stage."
Dickson claimed in the piece that the trial was "decided in the court of public opinion" weeks before the jury verdict, and highlighted a quote from Dr. Jessica Taylor. The forensic psychologist told the magazine that the trial was the "death" of the entire MeToo movement.
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Devoid of quotes from survivors who may have believed Johnny Depp’s story of abuse, the magazine described how sexual assault survivors expressed "disappointment" at the trial, and asserted that the verdict reaffirmed the idea one must be a "perfect" victim to be believed.
"Despite presenting photos of her injuries, video recordings of Depp’s meltdowns, and witness testimony supporting her claims of abuse, Depp was awarded $10 million plus $5 million in punitive damages," Dickson said.
The article also claimed that droves of Depp fans sent harassing and abusive messages to organizations that support survivors, such as the #MeToo organization. In addition, the author repeatedly stated abuse survivors around the world were experiencing mental anguish such as PTSD following the verdict.
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"The trial has had the impact of sending survivors down a rabbit hole of re-experiencing not just the grisly details of their abuse, but the aftermath — particularly, watching their abuser get away with it," Dickson added.
One advocate speaking with the magazine said that "hundreds" of victims have pulled their testimony and withdrawn from court cases following the Depp-Heard verdict, which caused social media to erupt.
Twitter users quickly criticized the article.
"The unstated assumption that men can't be victims or survivors is what's sickening here," Daily Wire writer Virginia Kruta tweeted.
JOHNNY DEPP AND AMBER HEARD ISSUE STATEMENTS FOLLOWING THE JURY’S VERDICT
"When you winnow morality down to one gender good, one gender bad, you are likely to confront some disappointment," Washington Free Beacon writer Drew Holden said.
"Remember, it’s entirely possible Rolling Stone is just making this up. Again," Philadelphia talk radio host Rich Zeoli chimed in, a reference to the magazine's infamous University of Virginia gang rape story in 2014, which it ultimately retracted.
In 2017, Rolling Stone reached a settlement agreement with former University of Virginia Associate Dean Nicole Eramo. The former university employee said she was defamed by the magazine, which painted her as the face of institutional indifference towards rape accusations. The original story centered on a young woman's account of a gang rape at a UVA fraternity that was later discredited.
Just three hours before the release of the article, Dickson, in a tweet, said that Heard had "more evidence" than 99.999% of domestic abuse survivors. She also said, "we hate women so much in this country" and that men with "power and capital" will always be believed over "women with less."
The official Twitter handle of "Awards Daily," a year-round Oscar and Emmy coverage account, shot back at Erickson’s claim about Heard’s evidence, or lack thereof.
American Enterprise Institute Senior Fellow Christina Sommers tweeted, "We don’t hate women in this country, but we do respect due process. Also, women like Amber Heard (as well as "Jackie" in your papers’ fabricated UVA gang rape case) make it harder for genuine survivors to be taken seriously."
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