Does Anybody Really Give a Shit About Johnny Depp and His Ex?

[Eupher]

Not me. But we seem to be bombarded by it.

Couldn't care less. 

[Ralph Wiggum]

Nope, and I don't even know who Amber Heard is.  Of course I'm familiar with Depp, but I have not earthly idea why this is such a big story.

In reality, his defamation case against her and the Washington Compost is more significant than the salacious details of their relationship. It could impact such larger things (Times vs. Sullivan I think), but I don't think the Hollywood entertainment crowd even realizes that. They want the dirt.

[Zathras]

[enslaved1]

My wife has been kind of following it and for the most part it's a "celebrities are screwed up people" adventure, but there is one interesting turn.  Depp claims to have been emotionally and physically abused by Heard, which opens up, for some close minded folks, the idea that women can be the abusers in a relationship.  He's accused of some messed up stuff too, but much of the damage does seem to have been coming from the wife. 

[Drafe Hoblin]

Just catching slivers of news...  Seems like a marriage where everybody taped everybody.

[FlaGator]

It is all over youtube. At least half of the entertainment channels I look at are doing daily reports on who is slinging dirt on who. I try not to watch but it's unescapable.

[Eupher]

My wife has been kind of following it and for the most part it's a "celebrities are screwed up people" adventure, but there is one interesting turn.  Depp claims to have been emotionally and physically abused by Heard, which opens up, for some close minded folks, the idea that women can be the abusers in a relationship.  He's accused of some messed up stuff too, but much of the damage does seem to have been coming from the wife.

When I stumbled on the bit about her having taken a dump on his side of the bed, that's when I knew those people have a screw loose.

Who does that? Sick bastards - both of 'em.

[SVPete]

I care little or nothing for modern celebs, but if one of the outcomes is blunting the feminists' false accusations strategy and costing the WashPost and ACLU millions of $$ in lawsuit awards and legal costs, I'm good with that.

[DefiantSix]

I have a Rat's-ass O-Meter that measures in milli-rats asses. As much as the Johnny Depp/Amber Heard weird, sad story has been paraded in front of me, that damned meter hasn't even twitched once.

 

[Mr Mannn]

I think the allure is this is a nice, juicy drama without  the slightest hint of politics in it.

[Ralph Wiggum]

Since this weirdness and melodrama has now passed (again without Ralphie caring much), the latest media obsession is about the "Queen Mum" and her Platinum Jubilee.

Why the f*ck do Americans care about a country that we defeated in a Revolutionary War?  I sure don't, and am baffled with the obsessed "Royal" watchers.

[Eupher]

Good ol' Liz is an enigma of sorts since she's so damned bloody long-lived. She's 96 years old and has been on the throne since 1952, when her father George VI, died.

That kind of longevity is remarkable, I'd say, but it doesn't form the basis for obsession.

A 70-year celebration is something to marvel at.

For about 5 minutes.

God Save The Queen! 

 

[Ptarmigan]

The Depp Trial and the Demise of the ACLU: How a Celebrity Trial Exposed the Collapse of a Once Celebrated Group
https://jonathanturley.org/2022/06/02/the-depp-trial-and-the-demise-of-the-aclu-how-a-celebrity-trial-exposed-the-collapse-of-a-celebrated-civil-liberties-group/

In yesterday’s massive defamation award to actor Johnny Depp, his ex-wife Amber Heard was left holding a bill for $15,000,000. Even after a reduction for her own award and a statutory reduction of the punitive damage portion, Heard is still looking at $8,350,000 in damages. Many view that amount (which is $1.35 million more than her divorce settlement) to be justified in light of the damage caused to Depp’s reputation and career. However, the stain of  this verdict should be shared with others, even if they avoided the sting of actual damages. That includes many in the media (including the Washington Post staff) who rushed to paint Heard as a victim and Depp as an abuser. Yet, the greatest condemnation should be reserved for the organization that not only pushed that narrative but actually helped draft the defamatory column: the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU).

The ACLU’s role in this scandal emerged during the trial. While Heard was accused of reneging on her public pledge to give the divorce settlement to charity, she did give a large donation to the ACLU. The organization then made her “Ambassador for women’s rights, with a focus on gender-based violence.”

During the trial, evidence was introduced on how the ACLU staff helped Heard crafted the defamatory column.  ACLU staffer Robin Shulman said in an email to Heard that she tried to capture Heard’s “fire and rage” in a draft. It was also reported that the ACLU’s executive director, Anthony Romero, and legal director, David Cole, also made contributions.

Who knew this case could impact the ACLU.