After Amber Heard’s claims about Johnny Depp being defamed, a top law scholar argued that Johnny Depp is also responsible for the American Civil Liberties Union’s contribution to the problem. The essay was drafted by the group for Amber Heard.
It was discovered that Heard’s Washington Post 2018 op-ed calling for domestic abuse was ghostwritten by ACLU staffers during the six week defamation trial.
A jury in Virginia found several parts of the essay to be defamatory on Wednesday. It didn’t even mention Depp.
The ACLU is really to blame for the failures of our democracy. You know, they played a critical role,’ argued legal scholar Jonathan Turley, an attorney and professor at George Washington University Law School, in an interview with Fox News host Sean Hannity.
They helped to draft the defamatory statements. The countervailing arguments made by Depp were ignored or dismissed. He added that they had elevated the person to be the spokesperson presumptive for all spouses abused.
Jonathan Turley, a legal scholar, argued that Amber Heard was partly responsible for Johnny Depp’s defamation after she ghostwrote her 2018 article about domestic abuse.
On Wednesday, Amber Heard, the actress in this case, leaves Fairfax County Courthouse. Depp was awarded a net of $8.35 million damages.
Depp claimed that Heard was defaming him and accused him of abuse in their short marriage. The jury returned a verdict for $10.35million.
Depp’s attorney was found to have defamed Heard, accusing her in a hoax and awarding her $2,000,000
At the time the essay was published, the ACLU described Heard as its ‘ambassador on women’s rights, with a focus on gender-based violence.’
Heard promised to give half of the $7 million she received in divorce settlement after splitting with Depp. But, evidence at trial revealed that she only gave a tiny fraction.
Turley asked why Turley was involved in Heard’s accusations of domestic abuse against Depp.
“Many people have been criticizing the ACLU over years. And how has it changed. He said that it used to be a group focused on freedom of speech, due process, and the mission to protect individual rights.
It’s becoming more and more politically. It has drifted. We found out in this particular case that ACLU staffers contributed to the writing of this defamatory article. Many are asking themselves: “What were you doing in this area?” Why did you get involved? He continued.
It was discovered that Heard’s Washington Post 2018 op-ed (below) alleging domestic abuse had been ghostwritten by ACLU staffers during the 6-week trial.
Johnny Depp arrived at Sage Gateshead in the UK Thursday. There he will be joined by Jeff Beck on stage that evening
Turley stated that Depp’s claims were not true and the ACLU chose Turley to be their spokesperson on abuse.
The ACLU spokeswoman did not immediately reply to my request for comment.
As a result, the hashtag #MeToo trended after Wednesday’s verdict. Both supporters and foes of the movement were arguing about the potential impact.
Douglas Murray, a columnist for The Times, argued that Harvey Weinstein’s 2017 accusations may be ‘fooling to an end’.
Murray claimed that Murray’s trial revealed a dysfunctional and messy relationship between Depp, Heard and served to remind him that not all domestic violence cases are like that.
He argued that blurring the lines between them is a grave social error.
Depp claimed that Depp received overwhelming public support because of a ‘overdue recognition that life and relationships can be more complex than those hashtags five years ago.
Michelle Celarier, journalist, stated in a Tweet: #metoo has officially ended.
Fox News’ Martha MacCallum, Fox News’ anchor said that the Depp verdict “puts a little bit of an stake in the notion you believe all women.”
The verdict was controversial even among supporters of MeToo. They feared that it might discourage domestic and sexual abuse victims from speaking up.
CNN legal analyst Areva Mart acknowledged that the verdict was a blow to her cause and tweeted, “This will have chilling effects on abused females!”
She wrote, “Clearly, this puts women back decades of progress and degrades the progress that we made with #metoo.”
Moira Donegan, a columnist for The Guardian, wrote that the verdict would have a ‘devastating effect’ on survivors. She said that it “will have a disastrous effect on them, and that they will now be forced to keep quiet about their horrific experiences with men without fear of being sued.
Donegan added, “In this sense, women’s speech just became much less free.”
Kiersten Warren (Saved By The Bell) had another take. Women aren’t treated differently or muzzled than they should be in the light of this verdict.
She said, “I think she heard us all, we took her seriously but many of us including the jury didn’t believe her.” “That’s it,” she said. ‘That’s all.’