A documentary series on the Johnny Depp vs. Amber Heard trial will be available on Netflix. This defamation case turned into a weeks-long spectacle that was broadcast live from the courtroom and on social media.
The trial in Fairfax, Virginia, started in April 2022 and ended in June of the same year.
Heard was accused of defaming Depp in a 2018 Washington Post op-ed in which she identified herself as a victim of domestic abuse (though she did not specifically name Depp). Depp sued Heard in 2019, seeking $50 million in damages and alleging that she had done so. Heard countersued Depp for $100 million, claiming that he habitually mistreated her while they were dating.
They were both held accountable by the jury for defaming each other.
According to the “Depp v. Heard” docuseries’ description on Netflix, it will examine “the role social media played in the trial” and portray both parties’ testimony “side-by-side,” drawing on news and social media comments.
While “Depp v. Heard” is meant to be a “neutral overview” of that environment, according to Netflix, it is unable to escape the attention economy that gave rise to its astronomical success.