If you have not heard of the celebrity news between Amber Heard and Johnny Depp, it has been all over the media since late May and still persists today.
On May 23rd, Heard petitioned to divorce Depp after 15 months of marriage citing “irreconcilable differences”. She asked for spousal support, in which Depp blocked the next day. On May 27th, Heard appears in civil court to request a restraining order against Depp because he allegedly smashed a cell phone into her face on May 21st. Her claim states that he was drunk and had also trashed her paint studio. Heard appeared in court with bruising on her face. She claims that Depp had been verbally and physically abusive during the entire relationship. Cops responded on May 21st, but “determined …show more content…
She also referenced December 2015 in which she feared for her life. The judge granted her the restraining order keeping Depp at least 100 yards away. Heard also requested spousal support of $50,000 which she withdrew weeks later. However, Depp’s lawyer accused Heard of alleging the abuse for finance gain in their divorce proceedings.
Within hours of the news breaking, people on social media began accusing Heard of being a liar, a fraud, a nobody and a “gold digger”. Furthermore, Depp’s daughter, ex-wife and friends defended his character and stated that he would never be capable of any sort of abuse. These are the people you would expect to stand up for Depp and committedly state that any allegations of physical, emotional, or verbal abuse is false. However, the responses of the public, show the messed up way we approach actions of famous men and also the misconceptions that still surround domestic violence.
Most of the people in social media, if not all of them, do not know Depp personally, yet are quick to stigmatize Heard or be “pro- Depp”. But why? Because he has played roles in Disney as is therefore incapable of being a violent man? Or because she is much younger and what other interest would she have in an older man besides his …show more content…
There is definitely people who have researched this topic and have found “inconsistencies” in Heard’s story and therefore believe she is lying about the abuse. But there must have been an automatic unconscious thought that Heard was lying in the first place, that led to the need to see the “facts” to prove that for yourself. The fact that so many people are comfortable making claims without it being proven in court, shows the normalized victim-blaming within our culture.
While there are people who defend Heard and commend her for coming forward, it appears that the negative remarks outweigh the positive. Often times, victims of abuse do not come forward because of the stigma, embarrassment, fear, or shame they may feel. Heard’s case readily reinforces those fears that victims of abuse may have; which is the fear that they may not be believed or receive backlash in the processes of coming forward against their abuser. As a result, many victims of abuse do not come forward at all.
The fact of the matter is domestic violence is an epidemic rooted in our culture and occurs more often than people would like to believe. But in
On May 23rd, Heard petitioned to divorce Depp after 15 months of marriage citing “irreconcilable differences”. She asked for spousal support, in which Depp blocked the next day. On May 27th, Heard appears in civil court to request a restraining order against Depp because he allegedly smashed a cell phone into her face on May 21st. Her claim states that he was drunk and had also trashed her paint studio. Heard appeared in court with bruising on her face. She claims that Depp had been verbally and physically abusive during the entire relationship. Cops responded on May 21st, but “determined …show more content…
She also referenced December 2015 in which she feared for her life. The judge granted her the restraining order keeping Depp at least 100 yards away. Heard also requested spousal support of $50,000 which she withdrew weeks later. However, Depp’s lawyer accused Heard of alleging the abuse for finance gain in their divorce proceedings.
Within hours of the news breaking, people on social media began accusing Heard of being a liar, a fraud, a nobody and a “gold digger”. Furthermore, Depp’s daughter, ex-wife and friends defended his character and stated that he would never be capable of any sort of abuse. These are the people you would expect to stand up for Depp and committedly state that any allegations of physical, emotional, or verbal abuse is false. However, the responses of the public, show the messed up way we approach actions of famous men and also the misconceptions that still surround domestic violence.
Most of the people in social media, if not all of them, do not know Depp personally, yet are quick to stigmatize Heard or be “pro- Depp”. But why? Because he has played roles in Disney as is therefore incapable of being a violent man? Or because she is much younger and what other interest would she have in an older man besides his …show more content…
There is definitely people who have researched this topic and have found “inconsistencies” in Heard’s story and therefore believe she is lying about the abuse. But there must have been an automatic unconscious thought that Heard was lying in the first place, that led to the need to see the “facts” to prove that for yourself. The fact that so many people are comfortable making claims without it being proven in court, shows the normalized victim-blaming within our culture.
While there are people who defend Heard and commend her for coming forward, it appears that the negative remarks outweigh the positive. Often times, victims of abuse do not come forward because of the stigma, embarrassment, fear, or shame they may feel. Heard’s case readily reinforces those fears that victims of abuse may have; which is the fear that they may not be believed or receive backlash in the processes of coming forward against their abuser. As a result, many victims of abuse do not come forward at all.
The fact of the matter is domestic violence is an epidemic rooted in our culture and occurs more often than people would like to believe. But in