#21
Depp also issued a “blanket denial of Heard’s testimony” earlier this week. “It's insane to hear heinous accusations of violence, sexual violence, that she's attributed to me, that she's accused me of," he said. "I don't think anyone enjoys having to split themselves open and tell the truth, but there are times when one simply has to because it's gotten out of control. Horrible. Ridiculous. Humiliating. Ludicrous. Painful. Savage. Unimaginably brutal. Cruel. Um, and all false. All false. This is not easy for any of us, I know that," Depp went on to say. "But I did get here and I did tell the truth."
Though reactions to the trial have been somewhat mixed, many people are considering it a turning point for male victims of domestic violence. Heard has admitted to hitting Depp, yet the idea of a man being a victim of assault from their female partner is still considered taboo by some people. Unfortunately, because women are more often the victims of assault, people are more likely to believe them and dismiss violence against men. “When I initially heard [about the case], I was a little shocked. I was like: ‘Wow. Who would’ve thought this could happen to Johnny Depp?’” Tony Enos, a Philadelphia pop singer and survivor of domestic violence, told NBC News. “Awareness is everything,” he said. “Men can be survivors too.”
After years of ugly legal battles, hopefully Depp will soon be able to relax knowing that this nightmare is ending. There is no way to predict how long the jury will take to reach a final decision, but one thing we can count on is that Twitter will be ablaze with reactions as soon as the verdict is announced. Enjoy reading the rest of these reactions to the trial, and don't forget to upvote your favorite takes. Then we'd love to hear your thoughts in the comments below if you've been keeping up with the trial: if you were on the jury, what would you want them to do?
#33
