Week three of the Johnny Depp-Amber Heard defamation trial came to a close today, and once again, the proceedings were loaded with high-stakes drama and shocking allegations.
Last week, Depp took the stand and testified that Heard cut off his finger, punched him, and stubbed out a cigarette on his face.
This week, his legal team called multiple witnesses — including a psychiatrist, and the manager of Depp’s property in the Bahamas — both of whom shared unflattering assessments of Heard’s character.
The shrink diagnosed her with several personality disorders, while the property manager alleged that Heard threw a can paint thinner at Depp, striking him in the face.
Needless to say, the trial isn’t doing any wonders for Heard’s reputation.
The 36-year-old hasn’t had a chance to take the stand yet, but it seems that in the court of public opinion, her fate has already been decided.
The latest evidence of this anti-Heard sentiment comes to us in the form of activism that could potentially impact the actress’ career.
A change.org petition to have Heard fired from Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom has received nearly 2.5 million signatures.
Heard played Mera in the first Aquaman film, co-starring opposite Jason Momoa.
She’s set to reprise her role in the 2023 sequel, which wrapped filming in January of this year.
The petition is calling for DC Entertainment to remove Heard from the film and presumably replace her digitally, a la Kevin Spacey In All the Money In the World.
Given the expense that that would entail, it seems unlikely that DC execs will comply, but the surprising popularity of the petition might be giving the studio second thoughts.
Whatever the case, the author of the petition certainly didn’t mince words in making her case, writing:
“Amber Heard has been exposed as a domestic abuser by Johnny Depp. In his $50 million lawsuit, Johnny Depp describes many incidents of domestic abuse that he suffered at the hands of his (then) wife Amber Heard, including one incident where she punched him twice in the face and another where she shattered his finger with a vodka bottle, and his finger had to be surgically reattached.
“He will bear the scar from that for the rest of his life.”
From there, the petition delves into Heard’s previous brush with the law:
“Also, Amber Heard was arrested in 2009 for abusing a former domestic partner, Tasya Van Ree, demonstrating a repeated pattern of abuse by Amber Heard,” it reads.
The petition concludes with a direct plea to the heads of DC and Warner Bros., urging them to hold women who have been accused of domestic violence to the same standard as male abusers:
“As Amber Heard is a known and proven domestic abuser, Warner Brothers and DC Entertainment should and must remove Heard from their Aquaman 2 film project. They must not ignore the suffering of Heard’s victims, and must not glamorize a domestic abuser,” it reads.
“Men are victims of domestic abuse, just like women. This must be recognized, and action must be taken to prevent a known abuser from being celebrated within the entertainment industry,” the petition continues.
“Do the right thing. Remove Amber Heard from Aquaman 2.”
Again, it seems unlikely that Heard will be removed from the film.
But the popularity of this petition doesn’t bode well for the future of her career.
And it’s possible that by the time this trial is over, both she and Depp will be considered unemployable in Hollywood.