Why Johnny Depp’s trial may be problematic for future female victims
If you pay attention to the news at all, you’ve probably seen or heard something about the defamation case between actor Johnny Depp and his ex-wife, Amber Heard. To refresh your memory, Depp sued Heard for defamation after she wrote an article about domestic abuse, implying Depp had perpetrated it against her. Consequently, Depp claims his reputation and career suffered greatly as he was labeled as a potential, even likely, abuser, all while her claims of abuse were false. There has been great controversy over this case, as information later emerged that Heard herself may be guilty of physical and/or emotional abuse against Depp – a complete three-sixty from the story the media had previously spun.
On April 12th, 2022, the defamation trial began and has been highly publicized since. There has been an outcry of support for Johnny Depp as the trial unfolds, as the predominant belief seems to be that he was a victim of not only Heard’s abuse, but also her manipulation and lies that permanently damaged his reputation. But we cannot address this trial without understanding the main reason the case is so popular: the rarity of the circumstance. In this case, it was the husband who suffered abuse, while the wife profited off stereotypes surrounding women as victims to support her lies.
Image: Johnny Depp
This narrative has resulted in a number of reactions to the case. A predominant one has been from outspoken feminists or activists in general who emphasize giving Depp the same justice that female victims deserve, as they focus on giving equal attention to all genders. This approach is not meant to downplay the validity of female victims, but rather to give the same attention to male victims who are often overlooked.
However, this is another opinion I have seen emerge quite frequently that revolves around the idea of “toxic femininity”. This term has been used to describe certain women’s manipulation utilizing stereotypes about their gender to get their own faults overlooked or pass the blame to others. This term has emerged now especially in the light of Jada Smith’s cheating scandals while her husband defends her name, and now with the unfolding of Amber Heard’s trial. Many voices on the internet have labeled Heard as a prime case of toxic femininity: using stereotypes about abuse victims to falsely paint herself as a victim and Johnny as the perpetrator, when in reality it is the other way around. But while Amber Heard’s actions are inexcusable, I believe that labeling her actions as toxic femininity poses danger to future female victims of abuse.
Picture: Jada Smith – cheating scandal?? Not sure
The main voices who claim “toxic femininity” and take interest in the Depp case are often the same ones who overlook toxic masculinity and denounce female abuse victims. For many of them, this has proven the worst fears of men who have continuously tried to undermine sexual assault or abuse cases: women do lie, and believing them all the time can backfire to ruin an innocent man’s life. Consequently, I think it is easy to see how this case may affect future sexual assault or domestic abuse cases with female victims; There’s now “proof” that false claims happen, giving even more fuel to those who doubt women’s claims, especially against high-profile men.
In Heard’s case, I think we do need to address her manipulation and support Depp just as fervently as we do female victims. However, it is also important to understand Heard’s manipulation is not necessarily a result of her being a woman, or else her actions will begin to haunt and undermine future female victims. Manipulation and exploitation is not an inherently female trait; rather, Heard happens to hold these traits regardless of her gender, and consequently found ways to execute them using stereotypes and expectations about women. Her actions must be condemned, but it is a far reach to say they represent a systematic problem in women. We must remember that the vast majority of women actually suffer due to the frequency of sexual assault and abuse against women, and very few will profit off of this expectation.
Image: Women’s march, protest for women’s rights
Consequently, we must give Johnny Depp the support and validity he deserves in his trial, especially because male victims are commonly overlooked. However, we must be extremely careful not to link Heard’s manipulation and deception to her femininity. This trial should not turn into an excuse to denounce women or paint future female victims as liars or manipulators. If we fail to do so, “toxic femininity” will become the newest tool to silence female victims and protect their perpetrators from justice.