Almost 200 organizations and “experts” in domestic violence signed an open letter Wednesday in support of Amber Heard.
The letter comes five months after Heard’s verdict in Fairfax County Court was read. The jury ordered her to initially pay $15 million, which later became $10.35 million, in damages for defaming her ex-husband Johnny Depp who was also ordered to pay $2 million for defaming Heard.
JOHNNY DEPP APPEALS VERDICT ORDERING HIM TO PAY AMBER HEARD $2 MILLION
The entire trial was streamed live and attracted hundreds to gather at the courthouse every day to observe proceedings in person. Experts came together to sign the letter after seeing what they claimed was increased disinformation surrounding domestic violence after the news of the verdict broke.
“In our opinion, the Depp v. Heard verdict and continued discourse around it indicate a fundamental misunderstanding of intimate partner and sexual violence and how survivors respond to it,” the letter reads. “The damaging consequences of the spread of this misinformation are incalculable. We have grave concerns about the rising misuse of defamation suits to threaten and silence survivors.”
Our letter that over 130 orgs, experts, and activists, including the legend @GloriaSteinem signed! #IStandWithAmberHeard #ExpertsForAmber pic.twitter.com/Fm3kveJj2r
— Open Letter for Amber Heard (@letterforamber) November 16, 2022
Some signatories include professors, fellow actresses, women’s organizations, and anonymous survivors of domestic abuse that have opted to sign the letter under pseudonyms. More names are being added as the letter’s organizers have created a Twitter account to bring more attention to the issue. The account has just under 800 followers.
“We condemn the public shaming of Amber Heard and join in support of her,” the letter states, going on to claim the harassment Heard faced “was fueled by disinformation, misogyny, biphobia, and a monetized social media environment where a woman’s allegations of domestic violence and sexual assault were mocked for entertainment.”
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“From the courtroom to the boardroom, I worry about American institutions creating conditions for survivors to be fearful to talk about what happened to them openly,” Lisa Sales, president of the Virginia Chapter of the National Organization for Women and member of the Fairfax County Council to End Domestic Violence, said in a statement. “There is no doubt that the way Heard was mistreated online during the trial, which happened in my backyard, has had a chilling effect on women and other vulnerable populations in Virginia, and indeed nationwide.”
Both Heard and Depp have since appealed the verdict.
