# Why all the hate against Amber Heard? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [April 27, 2022, 2:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-all-the-hate-against-amber-heard/963545 "2022-04-27T14:23:12Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2022, 3:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-all-the-hate-against-amber-heard/963545/81 "2022-04-29T03:21:15Z")
> **[The Undoing of Joss Whedon](https://www.vulture.com/article/joss-whedon-allegations.html)** > > The Buffy creator, once an icon of Hollywood feminism, is now an outcast accused of misogyny. How did he get here? > A high-level member of the _Buffy_ production team recalled Whedon’s habit of “writing really nasty notes,” but that wasn’t what disturbed her most about working with him. Whedon was rumored to be having affairs with two young actresses on the show. One day, he and one of the actresses came into her office while she was working. She heard a noise behind her. They were rolling around on the floor, making out. “They would bang into my chair,” she said. “How can you concentrate? It was gross.” This happened more than once, she said. “These actions proved he had no respect for me and my work.” She quit the show even though she had no other job lined up. > Erin Shade, a television writer who moonlights as a psychic medium, got involved with Whedon in 2013 while working as a showrunner’s assistant on [_Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D._](https://www.vulture.com/tv/agents-of-s-h-i-e-l-d-/) _,_ a series he created with one of his younger half-brothers and the brother’s wife. He was 49; she was 23 and a virgin. One day, Whedon texted her with an unusual request: Would she come over to his house for the weekend to watch him write? He would pay $2,500 — more than Shade made in a month as an assistant. There was one caveat: She had to hide it from her bosses. They dated on and off in secret for nearly a year before she slept with him. Not long after, he sent her a brief email telling her he couldn’t have a girlfriend. Seven years later, she made a ten-hour YouTube series called [_Erin the Snake Whisperer_](https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLZrGyyuaV966QCHA9GzK8MWw9V-56V0QE) that chronicled the painful consequences of the relationship. ---
**Author:** ![mordecaiB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mordecaib/32/7725_2.png) [@mordecaiB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mordecaiB)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2022, 8:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-all-the-hate-against-amber-heard/963545/82 "2022-04-29T08:23:44Z")
> [@Acsenray](#): > > The plaintiff’s case goes first, so Amber Heard’s lawyers haven’t yet presented their case. That’s probably the biggest reason why nothing putting Depp in a bad light has really come out yet in terms of trial testimony. I would guess this is the answer for the Depp good/Heard bad bias now. I’m sure that will change once Heard gets a chance to put her story out. Once again, I’m a bit amazed that people are seeing this pop up on YouTube or newsfeeds. I never see it in my newsfeeds because I rarely look at entertainment news and this hasn’t cracked into my regular news. I also have a YouTube account and I have not seen a single suggested Depp video yet. Looking at the search dropdown menu on YouTube brings up zero Depp stories. I don’t get why some people are blasted with this and I get zero. Just lucky I guess. ---
**Author:** ![Love\_Rhombus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/love_rhombus/32/10694_2.png) [@Love\_Rhombus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Love_Rhombus)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2022, 9:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-all-the-hate-against-amber-heard/963545/83 "2022-04-29T09:29:07Z")
> [@BigT](#): > > by making something uncommon look worse. Just to help my poor tired brain, what is she making look worse? ---
**Author:** ![not\_what\_you\_d\_expect](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/not_what_you_d_expect/32/3246_2.png) [@not\_what\_you\_d\_expect](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/not_what_you_d_expect)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2022, 9:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-all-the-hate-against-amber-heard/963545/84 "2022-04-29T09:51:14Z")
This story never comes up in my feed, for which I’m grateful. I did just happen upon the trial while channel surfing a week or so ago and it was the part where Depp has to admit that he did indeed send those pretty disgusting messages to his buddy Paul Bettany. The messages were the ones where he talks about fucking the corpse of Amber to be sure she’s dead. Toxic relationships sure do bring out the ugly. ---
**Author:** ![Crafter\_Man](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crafter_man/32/458_2.png) [@Crafter\_Man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crafter_Man)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2022, 10:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-all-the-hate-against-amber-heard/963545/85 "2022-04-29T10:25:41Z")
> [@mordecaiB](#): > > I would guess this is the answer for the Depp good/Heard bad bias now. I’m sure that will change once Heard gets a chance to put her story out. Agree. But if it’s nothing more than “look at what a druggie/drunkard Depp is” then I suspect it’s going to backfire on them. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2022, 1:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-all-the-hate-against-amber-heard/963545/86 "2022-04-29T13:29:28Z")
> [@mordecaiB](#): > > I’m sure that will change once Heard gets a chance to put her story out. I would normally agree with you, but I feel like this is going to be different. Most of the videos that were recommended to me are from the Law & Crime Network Channel – both live feeds and clips – and Entertainment Tonight and I just don’t see that comment section changing when Amber takes the stand. I predict it’s going to be variations of “lying bitch.” I guess we’ll see soon enough. Right now, the comments are pretty much summed up as “if Depp doesn’t win this case, I will lose faith in humanity.” I just don’t see these people being swayed. ---
**Author:** ![Love\_Rhombus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/love_rhombus/32/10694_2.png) [@Love\_Rhombus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Love_Rhombus)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2022, 2:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-all-the-hate-against-amber-heard/963545/87 "2022-04-29T14:04:46Z")
Depp certainly has the money and celeb clout over Heard. ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2022, 3:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-all-the-hate-against-amber-heard/963545/88 "2022-04-29T15:12:54Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > I predict it’s going to be variations of “lying bitch.” I guess we’ll see soon enough. Right now, the comments are pretty much summed up as “if Depp doesn’t win this case, I will lose faith in humanity.” I just don’t see these people being swayed. I agree. Regardless of what the ruling is, people are going to hate her for a long time. Even if he actually beat the snot out of her and she was never anything less than a perfect, loving, caring wife. They’re still going to side with him, barring video proof, maybe. IMO, because I know this is why I feel this way, it’s an anchoring bias. The first thing I heard about this, years ago, was that she claimed he hit her, the cops came out and dismissed it as nothing since she had no injuries, then he said the she actually hit him and he had the injuries to prove it. It’s difficult not to look at the whole scenario without always going back to, correctly or incorrectly, ‘she hit him then lied about him hitting her’ and it colors my whole outlook on the situation. > [@Love\_Rhombus](#): > > Depp certainly has the money and celeb clout over Heard. Apparently I _really_ haven’t been paying attention to her love life. I knew that after her and Depp split up she was with Elon Musk. Until a few weeks ago I assumed she still was and I thought it was risky for Depp to go up against someone with access to an unlimited amount of money. Which is odd, since I was aware of Grimes, I just never gave it any real thought. ---
**Author:** ![EllisDee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ellisdee/32/4531_2.png) [@EllisDee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EllisDee)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2022, 4:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-all-the-hate-against-amber-heard/963545/89 "2022-04-29T16:28:15Z")
I don’t know, the whole shitting in his bed thing, all by itself, seems like it would be sufficient to generate a lot of the hate. ---
**Author:** ![mordecaiB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mordecaib/32/7725_2.png) [@mordecaiB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mordecaiB)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2022, 4:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-all-the-hate-against-amber-heard/963545/90 "2022-04-29T16:43:39Z")
> [@Crafter\_Man](#): > > Agree. But if it’s nothing more than “look at what a druggie/drunkard Depp is” then I suspect it’s going to backfire on them. Yeah, even I knew Depp had addiction problems and I know practically zero about his personal life. I think she is going to need some pretty straight forward evidence about the abuse. Right now, it sound she gave as good as she says she got. > [@pulykamell](#): > > I predict it’s going to be variations of “lying bitch.” I guess we’ll see soon enough. Right now, the comments are pretty much summed up as “if Depp doesn’t win this case, I will lose faith in humanity.” I just don’t see these people being swayed. You could be right. After reading some stuff online after reading this thread, she does look pretty crappy. Apparently the video she secretly recorded has really backfired on her with the public, most people thinking she goaded him into a fight on purpose. Her not donating the money she promised to the ACLU looks bad for her too, even though it shouldn’t really matter in deciding the trial. Add in the letter from her lawyer that looks like a blackmail attempt on her part and she’s going to have to put up a really good rebuttal case. > [@Love\_Rhombus](#): > > Depp certainly has the money and celeb clout over Heard. Maybe she can hit up Musk for a couple of million again. > [@EllisDee](#): > > I don’t know, the whole shitting in his bed thing, all by itself, seems like it would be sufficient to generate a lot of the hate. Okay, I wish I hadn’t read this post. I would have been happy with my ignorance. ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2022, 6:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-all-the-hate-against-amber-heard/963545/91 "2022-04-29T18:17:49Z")
> [@mordecaiB](#): > > Right now, it sound she gave as good as she says she got. Now she just needs to prove that she got what she says she got. ---
**Author:** ![mordecaiB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mordecaib/32/7725_2.png) [@mordecaiB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mordecaiB)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2022, 7:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-all-the-hate-against-amber-heard/963545/92 "2022-04-29T19:38:38Z")
> [@Joey\_P](#): > > Now she just needs to prove that she got what she says she got. A bit of an uphill battle for her right now. I’m not sure how it works in civil suits. Any legal eagles here that can comment on what the defense has to disclose before trial? In other words, is there likely to be some surprise evidence introduced by the defense? I assume they had to provide a witness list. ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2022, 8:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-all-the-hate-against-amber-heard/963545/93 "2022-04-29T20:15:29Z")
> [@mordecaiB](#): > > I’m not sure how it works in civil suits. Any legal eagles here that can comment on what the defense has to disclose before trial? In other words, is there likely to be some surprise evidence introduced by the defense? I assume they had to provide a witness list. There would have been an extensive discovery phase of the case in which both sides asked each other for their witness lists and probably conducted depositions of their witnesses. You can’t surprise the other side with a witness without a very good excuse. And if the witness comes out with something that didn’t come out at deposition, they are going to use their deposition testimony to impeach their current testimony. ---
**Author:** ![mordecaiB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mordecaib/32/7725_2.png) [@mordecaiB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mordecaiB)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2022, 8:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-all-the-hate-against-amber-heard/963545/94 "2022-04-29T20:22:26Z")
Thanks, great answer. One more question, if you don’t mind. In a case like this, can a defense witness decline to be deposed by the complainant? Complainant sounds like a fake word for some reason. ---
**Author:** ![Atamasama](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atamasama/32/12961_2.png) [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2022, 10:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-all-the-hate-against-amber-heard/963545/95 "2022-04-29T22:41:02Z")
> [@mordecaiB](#): > > Complainant sounds like a fake word for some reason. It’s the character from _A Bug’s Life_ who’s always whining about **something**. ---
**Author:** ![Riemann](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/riemann/32/3133_2.png) [@Riemann](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Riemann)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2022, 10:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-all-the-hate-against-amber-heard/963545/96 "2022-04-29T22:47:26Z")
Is this something like Sexual Harassment Panda? ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2022, 8:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-all-the-hate-against-amber-heard/963545/97 "2022-04-30T20:56:21Z")
> [@mordecaiB](#): > > Complainant sounds like a fake word for some reason. The first few times I saw that word on a police report or police blotter, I assumed it was a typo. ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2022, 9:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-all-the-hate-against-amber-heard/963545/98 "2022-04-30T21:22:47Z")
> [@mordecaiB](#): > > One more question, if you don’t mind. In a case like this, can a defense witness decline to be deposed by the complainant? If the defense doesn’t make a witness available during discovery then it might not be able to use that witness at trial. The two sides have to work out a discovery plan and come to a mutual agreement. If one side refuses to provide something, whether it be documents, answers to interrogatories, or witnesses for deposition, then the other side will complain to the judge. A _lot_ of stuff you will see at trial is the result of months and months of work by both sides working _together_. > [@mordecaiB](#): > > Complainant sounds like a fake word for some reason. In a civil trial, the term is _plaintiff_, which obviously has common roots with _complainant_. I believe that _complainant_ is common for police reports. In pre-trial motions, motions in limine, and post-trial motions, you would have a _movant_. Before an appeals court, you would have an _appellant_ and _appellee_. Before a court of last resort, you might have a _petitioner_ and a _respondent_. Before an administrative panel, you might have a _claimant_ and a _respondent_. These kinds of terms can vary widely from one venue to another and from one jurisdiction to another, obviously. ---
**Author:** ![mordecaiB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mordecaib/32/7725_2.png) [@mordecaiB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mordecaiB)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2022, 9:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-all-the-hate-against-amber-heard/963545/99 "2022-04-30T21:25:52Z")
Thanks @Acsenray , great explanations. Even I understand them! ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2022, 9:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-all-the-hate-against-amber-heard/963545/100 "2022-04-30T21:28:46Z")
I’ve never been a trial lawyer by the way, but I am a lawyer and I have encountered a lot of this kind of stuff second-hand. No doubt an actual trial lawyer like Legal Eagle would have much more direct experience. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-all-the-hate-against-amber-heard/963545.md?page=4) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-all-the-hate-against-amber-heard/963545.md?page=6)