TikTok creators take purpose at Amber Heard with degrading memes amid Johnny Depp trial – Nationwide

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In as we speak’s on-line tradition, virtually something could be topic to memeification, and essentially the most high-profile home violence trial in current reminiscence is not any exception.

After only some minutes spent on TikTok — a platform usually, although generally mistakenly, heralded as being a progressive, Gen Z-dominated area for activism and social justice — the algorithm might very effectively begin displaying customers trending subjects just like the Johnny Depp vs. Amber Heard defamation trial.

Nevertheless, social media customers could also be hard-pressed to seek out content material in help of Heard, regardless of the ex-spouses each claiming to be victims of intimate accomplice violence. Actually, 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.

Based on Depp, Heard was a manipulative, abusive and overly “bold” accomplice. 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 have been additionally learn aloud in courtroom, during which Depp tells his good friend he needs to drown, burn and sexually defile Heard’s corpse.

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Johnny Depp claims texts about burning Amber Heard’s physique was a reference to ‘Monty Python’

Since Heard’s testimony final week — the place she accused ex-husband Depp of a number of graphic situations of violence towards her, together with a sexual assault the place she alleged Depp penetrated her with a glass bottle — it’s grow to be a TikTok pattern to imitate, mock and solid doubt on her claims.

A number of customers posted movies of themselves lip-syncing over Heard’s testimony. Others paraphrase solely, like consumer @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 solely, seemingly in an try to 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 huge 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 have been being held. She held a small “Go Johnny” signal because the actor left the courthouse in his automobile. She additionally filmed a number of presents and letters being thrown to Depp by way of the window of his automotive.

When Heard left the courthouse in her automobile, Ortiz filmed the gang’s silence. One girl could be heard calling Heard “mendacity” and “narcissistic.”

Maybe essentially the most vilifying memeificaton, although, is Depp followers who publish unsubstantiated claims about Heard, alluding to huge TikTok audiences Heard has achieved medication on the stand, smuggled alcohol into the courtroom and posed for crying pictures. Every of the next movies have greater than 1.1 million likes.

Some Depp followers have additionally flexed their artistic muscle mass 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 Publish op-ed penned by Heard in late 2018 about home abuse.

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Amber Heard particulars alleged sexual assault by Johnny Depp

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Heard didn’t point out Depp by title within the article, however the actor alleges his fame and profession have been nonetheless “devastated” consequently.

Heard is countersuing Depp for $100 million.