How will Johnny Depp and Amber Heard rebuild their careers and restore their public images?
- While this week’s jury verdict was largely in favour of the Pirates of the Caribbean star, both Johnny Depp and Amber Heard must rebuild their tarnished images
- Legal and PR experts believe it will be an uphill climb for both, though some say it will be easier for Depp, a man, for Heard
After an explosive six-week libel trial followed by millions on social media and live television, Johnny Depp and Amber Heard each face an uphill battle: trying to rebuild their images and careers.
“Depp has a hill to climb. Heard has a mountain to climb,” says Eric Dezenhall, a crisis mitigator with no involvement in the case. “If Depp keeps his expectations proportional and understands that he’s unlikely to hit his former heights, he can have a solid career if he takes things slowly. After all, he was vindicated in court, not declared a saint.”
The challenge for Heard, Dezenhall says, is that, rightly or wrongly, some believe she abused and perhaps even tarnished a worthy movement, #MeToo.
With a he said-she said edge to the drawn-out trial, the verdict handed down in Fairfax County in the US state of Virginia found that Depp had been defamed by three statements in a 2018 The Washington Post op-ed piece written by Heard, who identified herself as an abuse victim.