Former footballer and Match of the Day presenter Gary Lineker has been criticised after he posted a joke immediately after the verdict was announced in the Johnny Depp and Amber Heard defamation trial.
The 61-year-old ex-England striker wrote: "Depp wins and gets Heard immunity."
On Wednesday, a jury found that Heard had defamed her ex-husband in an article that she wrote for the Washington Post in 2018. As a result Depp will receive $10 million in compensatory damages and and a further $5m in punitive damages.
Heard was however awarded $2 million in damages after she won three counter-claims against Depp. Afterwards, the Aquaman actress called the verdict a 'disappointment' and a 'setback' for women.
Many felt that the result of the trial will spark a new and uncertain future for women who speak out, whilst on the opposite side of the argument, Conservative women celebrated the verdict as the end of the #MeToo movement.
Although Lineker's post didn't make a direct comment about either Depp or Heard many felt that now wasn't the right time to be joking about such a matter, given the seriousness of the situation.
\u201cDepp wins and gets Heard immunity.\u201d— Gary Lineker \ud83d\udc99\ud83d\udc9b (@Gary Lineker \ud83d\udc99\ud83d\udc9b) 1654111784
\u201c@GaryLineker are you ok\u201d— Gary Lineker \ud83d\udc99\ud83d\udc9b (@Gary Lineker \ud83d\udc99\ud83d\udc9b) 1654111784
\u201c@GaryLineker Gary what the fuck\u201d— Gary Lineker \ud83d\udc99\ud83d\udc9b (@Gary Lineker \ud83d\udc99\ud83d\udc9b) 1654111784
\u201c@GaryLineker Fucking hell Gary.\u201d— Gary Lineker \ud83d\udc99\ud83d\udc9b (@Gary Lineker \ud83d\udc99\ud83d\udc9b) 1654111784
\u201cAnd I thought my argument with Gary regarding the MOTD running order would cause controversy\u2026\u201d— Tom Young (@Tom Young) 1654117849
\u201c@GaryLineker Wow, this is so fucking bleak\u201d— Gary Lineker \ud83d\udc99\ud83d\udc9b (@Gary Lineker \ud83d\udc99\ud83d\udc9b) 1654111784
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