The legal battle between Johnny Depp and Amber Heard has been making headlines for years, but things definitely heated up once their defamation trial in Virginia actually began. With cameras in the courtroom, every moment went viral, and the verdict ultimately sided with the Pirates of the Caribbean actor. Some of those viral moments came on social media outlets like TikTok, with Depp himself joining after the trial. Although now Amber Heard’s claims about social media’s influence on the trial are being examined in an unexpected way.
The jury ultimately found Amber Heard guilty on three counts of defamation, and she was ordered to pay Johnny Depp a whopping $10 million. Since the verdict was revealed, Heard and her lawyers have maintained that social media played a huge role in the juror’s decisions, as trial news and the reaction online were impossible to miss. Now Variety has revealed that a new documentary is coming all about the way TikTok and other social media outlets may have influenced the Depp/Heard trial. The doc is titled Marriage on Trial: Johnny Depp, Amber Heard and Truth in the Age of Social Media, and it will be available on NBC News’ digital platforms.
This news shows how the discourse surrounding Johnny Depp and Amber Heard’s legal battle is seemingly now slowing down, despite the defamation verdict coming in over a month ago. NBC offered a description of the upcoming documentary, which reads:
The Depp v. Heard defamation trial evoked two distinct reactions – those who couldn’t get enough and those who received more than they wanted. The new deep-dive documentary explores why the trial overwhelmed social media, specifically TikTok, and what viewers missed if social media coverage was their only news source. In the wake of a verdict that surprised legal experts, NBC News examines how the trial evolved into the TikTok trial and what the verdict means for future domestic abuse cases.
Well, there you have it. As Amber Heard and Johnny Depp’s legal teams continue to clash in the wake of the defamation verdict, now we’re going to be examining exactly how folks on social media reacted to the very public trial. It should be interesting to see if Heard’s team reacts, as they’ve been claiming that social media had an influence on the jury’s decision in the matter.
Since there were cameras in the courtroom, every moment from the Johnny Depp and Amber Heard trial made its way online. As did countless TikToks, with folks online largely siding with Depp on the matter. Heard’s team believes this ultimately helped to sway the verdict, since it was impossible to block out all the Depp/Heard noise online. We’ll just have to wait and see how things shake down in this new documentary.
Marriage on Trial: Johnny Depp, Amber Heard and Truth in the Age of Social Media is expected to start airing today on NBC. Meanwhile, Depp is preparing to shoot his first post-trial role. In the meantime, check out the 2022 movie release dates to plan your next movie experience.
