I’ve been thinking about the Johnny Depp v. Amber Heard case a lot recently. I know you’re probably thinking – why? Honestly, I can’t explain why.
If you’re unfamiliar with the case, here’s a video briefly explaining it:
About two years ago, the court case was streaming live on YouTube. Viewers were able to see a direct look into the personal lives and issues of Johnny Depp and Amber Heard. We heard their stories firsthand, as well as witnesses explained what they knew about their relationship.
As much as I found it interesting, the whole thing felt surreal. These two celebrities looked more human than they ever had been before. Regardless of who was right and who was wrong, we were seeing celebrities unlike we had ever seen them before.
The internet took this case and ran with it. Due to the courtroom live feeds, people on the internet made their opinions widely known. People posted in support of Johnny Depp or Amber Heard as if they truly knew them in real life. However, the only people who will know the truth about what happened are Johnny Depp and Amber Heard.
I find this case super interesting, but I also find the public’s reaction to everything fascinating. Why was everyone so obsessed? (including me)
My answer: we were able to get a firsthand look into the personal lives of these major celebrities. With this advantage, people just wanted to know more and more. Viewers wanted to be more than a fly on the wall. All the drama that came with this case was seemingly never-ending, and the internet ate it up.
I think that the result of live streaming, in this case, is proof of how a lack of privacy for celebrities may not be the best choice. People often don’t think of celebrities as real people with real problems. In this case, their problems were displayed to the public and viewed by millions of people. This opens the door for internet trolls to make these problems even worse.
With these thoughts in mind, I find myself going back to this case and analyzing every little detail again. As much as I enjoy researching it, I see how the sheer amount of information available to the public is an issue.