Opinion| Why Amber's voice isn't being Heard in court
As Ukraine burns and the cost of living crisis looms the world is glued to the Johnny Depp vs Amber Heard trial.
What was once a Hollywood whirlwind romance, has now become a twisted merry-go-round exposing mental health issues and drug abuse.
The trial has lifted the gilded veil into the life of two high profile actors, in such a raw, unfiltered way that it makes the Kardashians look more staged than an A-Level production of Shakespeare.
The media is feeding titbits of information to the public, who tweet like baby birds for the next regurgitated morsel.
Others are listening and watching the trial as it happens – morbidly curious at the very intimate recordings that are played in court.
What is most disturbing however, are the legions of Depp fans ripping Heard to shreds on social media.
The beloved actor, who played anti-hero Jack Sparrow, has been cheered into court by loyal followers, despite losing his libel case with British tabloid The Sun and despite the abusive text messages read aloud in court.
Depp said he’s ‘not proud’ of the language he used in past text messages in which he discussed his ex-wife Heard in gruesome terms during cross-examination last Thursday.
He put the texts down to ‘dark humour’.
Maybe this was the same dark humour Heard used when she reportedly 'defecated on Depp's side of the bed' and tried to blame it on the Yorkshire terriers.
“I will **** her burnt corpse afterward to make sure she is dead,” Depp wrote.
Cue laughter from audience.
While people analyse Heard’s ‘crocodile tears’ and shamelessly call her a liar – a man who thinks necrophilia is funny is hailed as a hero. As if it were the lovable Jack Sparrow on trial and not a flesh and blood man who we do not, and will never know beyond the veneer he presents to the public.
Depp seems almost anaesthetised as he sits listening to the recordings, slightly slurring his speech.
Heard however, I do not think is an innocent party. She has been diagnosed with borderline personality disorder, or BPD, which if left untreated, can cause a whole host of issues in interpersonal relationships.
What is clear from the recordings, is that Heard uses emotional blackmail, but Depp also engages in stonewalling and blame shifting - another abuse tactic.
The relationship at best can be described as the meeting of two toxic individuals with mental health issues and substance abuse problems.
At worst a high chemistry dynamic between two personality disorders that both expose and abuse each other in equal measure.
The trial has lifted the lid on the life of two unhealed individuals who should have never been together.
Depp’s past does not excuse his current transgressions nor does Heard’s. Sometimes issues lay dormant until the right match is lit. Yet what is evident, is that the noise of Depp’s fans is drowning out Heard’s side of the story.
