#JusticeforJohnnyDepp – Fans Show Support for Jack Sparrow as Trial Begins

On Monday, April 11, Johnny Depp appeared in court to begin his long-awaited face-off against his ex-wife Amber Heard in a jury trial. And fans have taken to Twitter to show their support for the Pirates of the Caribbean star.

The dispute between Depp and Heard began back in 2018 when she published an OpEd alleging that Depp had been abusive during their relationship. Occurring at the height of the #MeToo movement, the piece sparked intense reactionary measures from Hollywood against Depp, which included being dropped from Disney’s Pirates of the Caribbean franchise–and almost derailing the fifth and latest installment of the franchise: Dead Men Tell No Tales. 

Depp served Heard a $50 million defamation lawsuit which she countered with a $100 million suit claiming he was trying to smear her.

The glorified “he said/she said” case has lingered over the past four years with evidence from eyewitness testimony and video surveillance emerging that Heard was actually the abuser rather than Depp, which included deliberately faking her injuries. Despite these developments, Depp continued to face employment troubles in Hollywood, which included the loss of his role as Grindelwald in the Warner Bros.’s Fantastic Beasts series. Depp has held fast to his stance that the accusations are orchestrated by heard.

“You don’t get these huge libel trials,” says Claire Gill, an attorney who’s represented high-profile celebrities and politicians in defamation cases, told The Hollywood Reporter. “It’s just really rare for someone to take on this level of risk. You might say that suggests that possibly he’s telling the truth. The perception is ‘Why would anyone do this unless what’s being said about him is untrue.’ Others would say he’s desperate and has no choice to follow through. Either way it’s really unusual.”

While the ultimate decision will be left to twelve jurors, fans across the world are actively dispensing their own verdicts of the situation, and many are siding with Depp.

Some shared pieces of evidence like @whoisitbad, who wrote,

“Men can be victim of abuse too. Johnny Depp is a victim of domestic violence, besides being falsely accused. Amber Heard is an abuser who’s still given the power to continue indirectly abusing her victim with her false narrative. Keep fighting for #JusticeForJohnnyDepp”

https://twitter.com/whoisitbad/status/1513522296090238983?s=20&t=H62oyRM_QhWY3gskmh6n7g

@GellertDepp also shared one recording, which he quoted in his Tweet, which read,

“‘Tell the world Johnny. Tell them… I Johnny Depp, a man, I’m a victim too of domestic violence… and see how many people believe or side with you.’ Oh he will and we will believe him. Today #JusticeForJohnnyDepp”

“Tell the world Johnny. Tell them… I Johnny Depp, a man, I’m a victim too of domestic violence… and see how many people believe or side with you.”

Oh he will and we believe him.
Today 💙⚖️ #JusticeForJohnnyDepp pic.twitter.com/JMctzQDLZI

— 🌟🏴‍☠️ (@GellertDepp) April 11, 2022

Others, however, just shared pictures and voiced their cheerful support in their own way, like @OperaPharaoh, who said,

“Nothing but support for this man! Hoping and praying he gets the justice he deserves. This isn’t about if you like his movies or not, it’s about whether the truth is important to you. I stand by the truth. I stand by Johnny. #JusticeForJohnnyDepp” 

https://twitter.com/OperaPharaoh/status/1513507548086870024?s=20&t=H62oyRM_QhWY3gskmh6n7g

Related: Academy Decides Punishment for Will Smith

Underway in Fairfax, Virginia, both sides will come to a final decision on Jury selection Today, April 11. The first trial session under Judge Penney S. Azcarate will proceed at a later date.

All five Pirates of the Caribbean movies starring Johnny Depp as Captain Jack Sparrow are available for streaming now on Disney+.