The case Johnny Depp-Amber Heard it started out as a libel trial, but by the end of the live stream show what remains is an ugly referendum on post-MeToo gender relations. Even if you didn’t watch the process for even a minute, it was nearly impossible to avoid hearing all that rumor around the fact, as memes, hashtags and videos bombed social media feeds. Most were lined up for Depp, so much so that even during the trial it was assumed that they could be the result of an organized campaign.
During the trial, Depp accused ex-wife Heard of harming his career with a article of Washington Post written by her in support of the Violence Against Women Act. The actress did not mention the actor’s name in the piece, but she described herself as “a public figure representing domestic abuse” whose career she resented after citing an actor as powerful as her abuser. .
Depp testified that Disney barred him from Pirates 6 shortly after the article was published, although Heard’s attorney pointed out that an article in the Daily Mail had reported that Depp was out of action two months ago. “For two years, there has been constant talk around the world about me as a wife beater,” Depp said in court, referring to Heard’s initial restraining order against him in 2016, “so I’m sure Disney was distancing oneself to keep safe ».
Your agent, Jack Whigham, testified that it was impossible to secure him a studio movie after the article: “It was a death knell, a catastrophic thing for Mr. Depp in the Hollywood community.” In 2020, Depp was then supposed to drop out Fantastic Beasts at the request of Warner Bros, after losing a UK libel case against the The Sun, who had defined him precisely as a “wifecaster”.
At the end of the trial, a sentence from Heard’s article echoes: “I felt the full force of the anger of our culture against women who speak.” A veteran film producer describes her as a Vanity Fair: “In a way, what Heard said in the article came true at trial: She felt the wrath of Depp’s fans. Among the cheerleaders were men’s rights activists and even Republicans from the US House Judiciary Commission. Moments after the announcement of the verdict, the Judicial Commission of the Chamber of the GOP has tweeted from his official account a GIF of Depp in Pirates of the Caribbeanpresumably in support of his victory ».
“We are deeply concerned that the Depp-Heard decision sets a precedent that exacerbates the barriers victims face in coming forward,” he said. tweeted the entertainment industry advocacy group Women in Film after the announcement of the verdict. “A psychologist told a Rolling Stone to have already heard hundreds of victims who want to withdraw from the trials of the abusers or retract their public statements. “
How will all this reflect on Hollywood, which is still grappling with the complicated issues raised by #MeToo? My colleagues Anthony Breznican, Rebecca Ford And Britt Hennemuth and I have talked to insiders from the entertainment industry, many of whom are just as perplexed and baffled by the case as the general public. However, most agree that neither of the two actors got out unscathed. “It was disgusting to watch the trial – it’s none of our business and their marital problems don’t concern us,” says a senior film studio executive. “I think it will take a moment before we know whether or not people will want to do business with them, and whether or not the public will care to see them in the cinema.”
An executive of a large studio specializing in major world outings sees the jury’s verdict as a Pyrrhic victory for Depp: «There is apparently a winner, but is there really? In the film industry, both of them have now hung clothes so dirty that it will be difficult, at least for a while, to include them in some large-scale project ». There are even those who foresee that the verdict will also have sad political repercussions: “It’s easy for the right to bear witness to some Hollywood excesses and the lack of real contact with the inhabitants.”
As tempting as Depp may be to embrace his status as the leader of the anti-MeToo movement, one veteran film producer says he should resist: “Johnny Depp should come back as someone who wants to get back to ‘normal’, after years of utter lack of sobriety. Making him pass as the enemy of #MeToo would not play in his favor ».
Johnny Depp was once one of those actors who were still worth going to see a movie, whether it was an indie film or a blockbuster. As he got older, he turned into a comic book version of a rebel. During the trial it was debated whether Depp still had a bad reputation in the film industry even before Heard’s article. In a video deposition, Tracey Jacobs of the AHU , a prominent agent who represented Depp for 30 years until he fired her in 2016, testified about her growing substance abuse and stated that, in the past decade of working with him, Depp has tainted her reputation. always showing up late on the set: “People were talking about him, there were already those who questioned his behavior.”
A leading publicist and Hollywood awards strategist sees a bumpy road for Depp: “He went too far, hard for Studios to involve him. He is a mine. But what does it matter to him? He will continue to make money with marginal video-on-demand and it will still be okay for him ».
Then there are also those who think differently: a talent agent from a major agency believes that, since Depp’s dangerous artistic image was already a fact, the public could be lenient: “I think it is enough that a studio assume. If he even made an independent film outside of Hollywood, maybe then someone would be pushed to re-enact him ».
A development executive who has worked on several projects with Depp agrees that the actor’s return to Hollywood will be a gradual process. Pirates of the Caribbean. But the jury and the public seem to be on his side, more than people are towards many other celebrities who have been accused of #MeToo. After all, he largely won the case ».
However, the allegations of abuse will remain a factor that will affect the eventual hiring of the director: «Why should one get a peel? More likely to go into smaller films, like Rum Diary, which could bring him back on track ». It’s not unlikely that Depp might find himself receiving less compensation because of the damage to reputation: “Johnny is part of a group of superstars who used to get huge salaries,” continues the development executive, “But any excuse Hollywood can use to stop paying those astronomical figures, he will take it ».
Depp has other financial income, such as his role as the face of the perfume Sauvage by Dior. The company chose to support him during the trial, a decision that appears to have been rewarded by fans, some of whom went to great lengths to purchase the product as a sign of support for Depp.
P.er regarding Heardmost sources with which Vanity Fair spoke agree that his reputation was badly damaged by the grueling process. Although she has never been a star like Depp, Heard will appear in the sequel to the blockbuster next year Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom alongside Jason Momoa. But Depp fans, who showered Heard with insults, have organized a campaign to remove the actress from the film: as of this writing, their petition on change.org has more than 4.5 million signatures.
Insiders are divided on Heard’s career prospects: “I think Amber’s career is over,” says a talented agent, “Anyway, she hasn’t had a good career in recent years and I don’t know how she’ll get out of it …”.
The advertiser we heard is more optimistic about Heard’s future: “Her career as a big studio star is over, but there will be other suitable producers who will want to work with her, maybe women.” And the film producer also bets on it: «It really depends on the type of choices you make about her, but I think there will be people willing to work with her. And if she did a great indie with a well-acted part and showed her skills, I think she could start again. ‘
It’s not easy, especially since hashtags like #amberheardisapsychopath, #WeJustDontLikeYouAmber And #DontBelieveAllWomen.
The verdict could test one of Hollywood’s dilemmas, says the producer: “How canceled it is deleted?” Apart from Harvey Weinstein, it seems that all bets are open: I think the market will determine it, not the executives. If the market really wants an actor, it will have one. I don’t think the market is begging Kevin Spacey. Instead, judging by Depp’s army of followers, it’s clear that he still has a large fan base. His declaration on Instagram after the sentence it currently has more than 18 million likes, some of which from celebrityincluding the director Taika Waititi.
Meanwhile, Hollywood will have to let the weight of the trial clear: “I think they hurt each other,” says an industry veteran who has compulsively watched the trial. serial abuser. He did not abuse Kate Moss. He did not abuse Vanessa Paradis. But it is not excluded that with Amber it went differently: there are some alchemies of people who are like chemicals: completely benign when they are alone, but if you put them together, they create explosions ».
Source: Vanity Fair
