For weeks, Disney fans across the world have been watching and reading the Johnny Depp/Amber Heard trial. The trial began on April 11, with Depp suing Heard for $50 million, saying that she ruined his reputation and cost him work because she accused him of domestic abuse in a 2018 OpEd. Heard is countersuing Depp for $100 million.
While the actual court is still hearing testimony and has not made its decision yet, the court of public opinion has made itself loud and clear. Many people have accused his ex-wife, Amber Heard, of lying, perjuring herself, and acting during her testimony. She has also been accused of quoting lines from movies during her testimony and pretending they are things she and Depp said to each other.
During the trial, Depp and others who have testified on his behalf have claimed that the Washington Post OpEd was part of the reason Disney split with Depp and will no longer work with him on the popular Pirates of the Caribbean franchise. Depp has claimed that he had a verbal agreement in place to get paid $22 million for the sixth film for his role as Captain Jack Sparrow in the franchise, but that fell apart after the OpEd came out. Disney has also announced a new Pirates film is in the works with Margot Robbie in the starring role.
Anger at Heard has grown as the trial has progressed, and a Change.org petition to bring Depp back into the Pirates fold has seen a new fire. In just the past few days, the petition — which was started 2 years ago — has seen more than 100,000 signatures added to it. In part, the petition reads:
The trial is expected to last a few more weeks at a minimum. Depp’s testimony along lasted for nearly a month, and Heard only began her own testimony last week. While the trial seems to be improving Depp’s image, it does not seem to be helping Heard’s. According to reports, Heard’s part in the new Aquaman movie has been cut to just 10 minutes as outrage grows and fans demand she be fired from the franchise.