'Once the narrative of 'Heard bad, Depp good' solidified, so too did the feverish rush to piece together the evidence in a way that would support it.'
became a shortcut for the justice system to become nothing more than entertainment. It’s about how allowing TV cameras in a trial might have been a journalistic necessity once, but now it’s more effective in swaying the court of public opinion than anything else.
After decades of media selling famous disputes like primetime sports, repackaging true crime stories into bingeable bites, and even breathlessly following cops on live high-speed chases, Depp and Heard just represent the latest chum tossed out to ravenous audiences for the sake of higher ratings. Encouraging people to take sides in celebrity disputes — whether a civil court case or a high-profile breakup — is as old as the concept of celebrity itself.
So, sure; it’s tempting to be surprised by just how quickly and completely Depp vs. Heard crept into every possible corner of the media. It might even be refreshing to be taken aback by the constant updates, gawking, and speculation that followed every dirty detail. And yet for as downright ugly as this lawsuit got, and as overwhelming as the response to it became, its evolution into a phenomenon mostly just felt inevitable.
Thanks to an easily accessible livestream, every minute of the Depp vs. Heard trial found an audience ready and willing to parse through every gesture, glance and sentence themselves. Once the narrative of “Heard bad, Depp good” solidified, so too did the feverish rush to piece together the evidence in a way that would support it. Even a casual search on TikTok will reveal hundreds of thousands of videos claiming to know the truth from the smallest kernel.
When people consume true life like scripted dramas, and news updates like twists in a script, it becomes all too easy for them to divorce reality from its humanity. Once Heard became the villain and Depp the victim, that was enough to keep millions, and all the media platforms that depend on those millions, hooked. Soon enough, though, the cameras won’t be on this story anymore. The appetite for it will wane, and our attention span will fade.
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Jurors Reach Verdict In Johnny Depp-Amber Heard Trial; Depp Will Not Be Present For AnnouncementJurors reached a verdict on Wednesday in Johnny Depp’s $50 million defamation case against ex-wife Amber Heard. The verdict will be announced at noon PT. Judge Penney Azcarate is giving lawye…
Read more »
Johnny Depp verdict: Amber Heard must pay $15 million, Depp must pay $2 millionAfter weeks of testimony, a jury ruled partly in favor of both Johnny Depp and Amber Heard — saying that both actors defamed the other with claims of domestic abuse.
Read more »
Jury sides with Johnny Depp in libel lawsuit against Amber Heard: Live verdict coverageBREAKING: Jury rules in favor of JohnnyDepp in libel lawsuit against ex-wife AmberHeard, who had accused him of abuse.
Read more »
Johnny Depp vs. Amber Heard: Verdict reached after weeks-long trialA verdict has been reached in Johnny Depp and Amber Heard’s six-week-long libel trial, which has captivated the internet and drawn millions of livestream views.
Read more »
Johnny Depp Wins Defamation Lawsuit Against Amber Heard, Awarded $15 MillionBREAKING: Johnny Depp wins defamation lawsuit against Amber Heard, awarded $15 million
Read more »
Verdicts reached in Johnny Depp, Amber Heard libel trialThe jury says it has reached a verdict in Johnny Depp’s $50 million libel lawsuit against his ex-wife Amber Heard, who testified that Depp physically and sexually assaulted her on multiple occasions
Read more »