An open letter condemning the abuse of Amber Heard in the Johnny Depp trial | Tech Reddy

But the letter was met with anger from Depp fans, some of whom flooded the organizers’ Instagram account with disparaging comments. Just hours after the publication of the letter on Wednesday, which was suspended for a day, showing the faces of survivors of online harassment, said Michele Dauber, a Stanford Law School professor and victim advocate. The Washington Post.

“This is a letter about the internet damage and public shaming Amber Heard has suffered as a result of the abuse allegations,” said Dauber, who signed the letter. “And it’s about cyber attacks on people who support him. It has nothing to do with the decision of the court.

The @lettforamber Angry Instagram comments followed — some aimed to slander and accuse Heard of being a liar and abuser, according to photos obtained by The Post. The account chose to turn it off and delete the content that was “so offensive and so offensive that it upset other survivors,” Dauber said. Soon after, the account was removed when users started posting.

A spokeswoman for Meta, which owns Instagram, said the account was suspended Wednesday night because it believed none of its content violated the company’s policies. The account was returned Thursday afternoon, shortly after the Post inquired about its status.

Neither Heard nor his attorneys responded to requests for comment from the Post. His sister, Whitney Henriquez, praised Wednesday’s letter, calling it “a much-needed breath of fresh air.”

“It’s over, the tide is turning… It’s over!” he wrote on an Instagram post.

The Depp-Heard decision comes as #MeToo hits, prompting panic

A letter of protest against Depp, collected There were more than 10,000 signatures as of Thursday afternoon, denouncing the support Heard received as “a kick in the teeth for men who have been victims of domestic abuse.” A spokesman for Depp did not immediately respond to a request for comment about the letters.

Dauber is one of the fans, experts, support groups and other organizations to sign a letter of protection to Heard. It was also signed by actress Constance Wu, feminist icon Gloria Steinem, the National Organization for Women, the Women’s March Foundation and Equality Now. Published some five months after the judge’s decision, the article said that Ms. Heard’s “defamation and online harassment of her and those who support her, have not found in the face of evil and level.” It also blames “disinformation, misogyny, biphobia, and a funded social media environment” for increasing the fear and perpetuating the cycle “of women’s allegations of violence in at home and harassing a woman who teased her for fun.”

After less than two years of marriage, Heard and Depp finalized their divorce in 2017. The following year, Heard wrote an op-ed for The Washington Post that said He says he is a “common man who represents domestic abuse,” even though he did not commit it. suspect Depp’s name. The “Pirates of the Caribbean” star sued Heard for $50 million, alleging defamation and accusing her of harassment. He then sued Depp for $100 million after his lawyer called his accusations false.

For six weeks, the couple went head-to-head in a Fairfax County, Va., courtroom, but the proceedings were set for the world to see — on television, in live streams and videos. Although both sides have filed claims of violence, drug use and abuse of each other, on social media, public opinion has been strong against Depp, and Heard and his legal team became fodder for many memes, the Post previously reported. In the end, the judge handed down a verdict in Depp’s favor, awarding him $15 million in damages. However, the jury also found Heard defamed and awarded her $2 million.

Many of those who publicly supported Heard took issue online — as did organizations that defended the actress, such as the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence. Some victims of abuse have also begun to reconsider legal action against their abusers, said Jessica Taylor, a psychologist and founder of VictimFocus, which challenges victimization. .

“Many women have told me that they are withdrawing from cases, they are deciding to cut back, or they are deciding not to report their abusers,” she told the Post. . “They all said it had shown them a side of the justice system that they were afraid of and that they would never be the ‘rightful beneficiaries’. “

Dauber, the professor, said what prompted him to sign the letter was the “death effect” that harassment of Heard would have on others who hope to report the incident. domestic violence or violence – acts of violence that occurred during the epidemic are also very popular. The letter, Dauber said, is part of an effort to show solidarity with public cynicism — and focus on how social media not only allows, but encourages, the Heard teased growing up.

“He was treated this way because the biggest players in harassment and abuse aren’t internet trolls — it’s Big Tech and social media platforms that make a lot of money,” Dauber said. “It’s a terrible thing when you compete with content creators to get clicks and eyeballs by publishing content that makes fun of Heard so they can make money, and ultimately, make money for these platforms. “

Who won the Depp-Heard lawsuit? Content creators were all involved.

But some have criticized the timing of the letter, saying the show of support for Heard was “too little, too long,” Gawker’s Fran Hoepfner wrote on Wednesday.

“At best, it’s a manifestation of a long-standing conspiracy to bolster the egos of its authors, and at worst, it’s emboldened and afraid of guilt for silence,” Hoepfner said. “What took so long for something like this?”

Dauber said the answer has long been a flare-up of things, suggesting a shift of Roe v. Wade and the need to defend reproductive freedom in middle age. And every time groups came to Heard’s defense “they faced a lot of hostility and pushback,” he added.

However, the lack of action by women’s groups and advocacy groups disappointed one of the signatories of this week’s letter.

“Only a few of us speak up, and we get hit with abuse and threats,” Taylor said. “I don’t know if it’s fear or what, Amber isn’t the type of woman they want to support, but I don’t think I’ll ever forget the silence, just like I’ll never forget the women who stand up .”