Amber Heard Calls Out Johnny Depp’s TikTok Message: ‘Women’s Rights Are Moving Backward’
Johnny Depp’s message profusely thanked fans for their support and said he plans to ‘move forward’ from the trial.
Amber Heard is calling out ex Johnny Depp following his June 7 TikTok message of gratitude to fans and desire to “move forward” following his successful lawsuit against her. In his first post to his more than 5 million followers, the actor, 58, shared a compilation video of himself waving out of a car to his supporters as he traveled to court and performing on stage with globally renowned guitarist Jeff Beck, 77, who he began touring the UK with as his defamation trial against Amber, 36, came to a close. Alongside the video, he wrote, “We’ve been everywhere together, we have seen everything together. We have walked the same road together. We did the right thing together, all because you cared.” Looking to the future, he added, “And now, we will all move forward together. You are, as always, my employers, and once again, I am whittled down to no way to say thank you, other than just by saying thank you. So, thank you. My love & respect, JD.”
@johnnydepp To all of my most treasured, loyal and unwavering supporters. We’ve been everywhere together, we have seen everything together. We have walked the same road together. We did the right thing together, all because you cared. And now, we will all move forward together. You are, as always, my employers and once again I am whittled down to no way to say thank you, other than just by saying thank you. So, thank you. My love & respect, JD
Just hours after the video was shared, Amber clapped back at Johnny’s remarks. “As Johnny Depp says he’s ‘moving forward,’ women’s rights are moving backward. The verdict’s message to victims of domestic violence is … be afraid to stand up and speak out,” her representative told People.
Amber echoed the same sentiment after a Fairfax, Va. jury found her guilty of defamation through a 2018 op-ed for the Washington Post, in which she claimed to be a survivor of domestic violence. Although she did not name Johhny, who she was separated from at the time, her statements of abuse were thought to be about him. Johnny sued her for $100 million and after a weeks-long trial that began on April 12, he was awarded $10.35 million in damages. Amber was given $2 million due to remarks made by The Pirates of the Caribbean star’s lawyer, Adam Waldman, to the Daily Mail in 2016 in reaction to allegations made by Amber against Johnny.
“The disappointment I feel today is beyond words. I’m heartbroken that the mountain of evidence still was not enough to stand up to the disproportionate power, influence, and sway of my ex-husband,” Amber wrote in a statement shared online following the trial’s June 1 conclusion. “I’m even more disappointed with what this verdict means for other women. It is a setback. It sets back the clock to a time when a woman who spoke up and spoke out could be publicly shamed and humiliated. It sets back the idea that violence against women is to be taken seriously,” she continued.
Johnny Depp out with @samfendermusic and @jeffbeckmusic in Newcastle tonight 👋👋👋 pic.twitter.com/9d1iGl7G59
— Artist formally known as John PB ⚫⚪ (@boywonder012345) June 1, 2022
Meanwhile, Johnny celebrated at a tavern in England with Jeff and British musician Sam Fender, 28, after the jury’s favorable verdict for him. He also released a message on social media. “Six years ago, my life, the life of my children, the lives of those closest to me, and also, the lives of the people who for many, many years have supported and believed in me were forever changed. All in the blink of an eye. And six years later, the jury gave me my life back. I am truly humbled,” he began in his June 1 post. He ended it by saying he feels “at peace” now that he was able to “reveal the truth” behind the lawsuit.
And even though Johnny plans to move on, it might not be so easy. Amber’s spokesperson, Alafair Hall, revealed to The New York Times that she plans to appeal the verdict.