People are worried the Amber Heard verdict will change #MeToo

Conversations surrounding the MeToo movement have emerged following the verdict in the Johnny Depp v. Amber Heard case.

Last week, a jury declared Depp, 58, was defamed by Heard, 36, regarding allegations of domestic abuse that Heard wrote about in a 2018 op-ed to the Washington Post.

Leading up to the verdict we witnessed six weeks of explosive allegations and testimony from both actors which aired much of the couple's dirty laundry.

Online, people took sides in an attempt to convince the public that one side was right and the other was wrong since there were many conflicting facts.

Evidence emerged of Depp displaying aggressive behavior and texting friends speaking of hypothetical violent scenarios. On the other side, audio recordings revealed Heard admitted to getting violent with Depp, and the Aquaman actress never donated her divorce settlement to charity as she pledged.

Sign up for our new free Indy100 weekly newsletter

A marriage counselor for the two testified there was "mutual abuse".

But as Depp was awarded $15 million in damages for the allegations made against him compared to Heard who only received $2 million for the allegations made against her through Depp’s lawyer, people wondered how the verdict would affect victims of domestic abuse in the future.

People have expressed fear that the Depp v. Heard case may set a precedent for accused abusers to file defamation suits against victims.

In an op-ed for the New York Times, journalist Michelle Goldberg wrote, "If Depp somehow prevails, one can expect similar lawsuits against other women who say they’ve survived abuse."

Goldberg cited Marilyn Manson's defamation suit against ex-fiancé Evan Rachel Wood and other accusers as an example.

But even for people who think Heard is lying about the alleged abuse, they fear the case has put a wrench in the MeToo movement. In their eyes, Heard has manipulated the public by using MeToo to garner support.

The movement was initially created to garner public support for people, specifically women, to speak out against powerful men who abused their power.

Either way, many social media users agree the case has changed the way people will view public figures who are accused or accuse others of abuse.

Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.