"Did these people watch the trial?": Open letter in support of Amber Heard signed by Gloria Steinem leaves internet furious 

An open letter to the public in defense of Amber Heard after the controversial defamation trial between her and Johnny Depp was released on November 16, 2022.

The letter was signed by leading women's organizations and experts in domestic violence and s*xual assault awareness, including journalist and socio-political activist Gloria Steinem.

The letter stood up for Heard against her "public shaming." It was posted on social media platforms, including Instagram and Twitter, under the handles @letterforamber.

The letter asks everyone to end the "online harassment and intimidation of individuals who report s*xual and domestic violence." Organizations such as the Women's March Action, the National Organization for Women, the National Women's Law Center, Sakhi, Equality Now, and the Women's March Foundation stated:

"The vilification of Ms. Heard and ongoing online harassment of her and those who have voiced support for her have been unprecedented in both vitriol and scale."

The letter further stated:

"Much of this harassment was fueled by disinformation, misogyny, biphobia, and a monetized social media environment where a woman’s allegations of domestic violence and s*xual assault were mocked for entertainment."

The "experts" seem to challenge the verdict of the defamation trial, stating it indicates "a fundamental misunderstanding of intimate partner and s*xual violence and how survivors respond to it." Furthermore, it claims that the verdict has spread the use of many "victim-blaming tropes" that are being used to "threaten and silence survivors."

Those who signed the letter to support the actress have been using the hashtags #ExpertsforAmber and #IStandWithAmberHeard.

Internet users were unimpressed by the letter. Referring to it and the "experts" who have signed it, one simply commented:

---

Netizens stand by Johnny Depp as letter in support of Amber Heard goes viral

Internet users stood firmly in support of Johnny Depp, stating that he was a victim of abuse. Many also questioned whether the so-called 'experts' who signed the letter were aware of the facts of the case, labeling them as "enablers" of abuse.

They pointed out that by supporting Heard, they stand against the "real survivor." Some tweeted with the hashtags #AmberHeardIsAnAbuser and #IStandWithJohnnyDepp

Here are some of the comments on social media:

---

Johnny Depp v. Amber Heard defamation case: The trial, aftermath and more

Earlier this year, Depp faced his ex-wife in court where he accused her of defaming him in a December 2018 op-ed. The highly-publicized defamation trial held in April 2022, named Johnny Depp vs. Amber Heard, found the actress guilty.

Jury members rejected her claims of abuse and stated that her claims seem to have malicious intent. She was ordered to pay $10.35 million in reparations. After losing the trial, the actress faced a lot of public backlash and many vicious attacks on social media.

A press release by the website Amber Heard Open Letter stated that any details of the case "became fodder for monetized social media harassment of Ms. Heard and her supporters."

At the time of writing, both Johnny Depp and Amber Heard's representatives declined to comment on the latest developments.