Are they too Depp?
Notoriously diehard Johnny Depp fans are dragging one of Amber Heard’s witnesses online after Monday’s testimony.
After practicing psychiatrist Dr. David R. Spiegel testified on behalf of Heard’s team against Depp, people began flooding his WebMD page with scathing one-star reviews.
Spiegel testified that Depp “exhibits behaviors that parallel those of a person who has both a substance use disorder and the behaviors of a person who is a perpetrator of domestic violence.”
When Depp’s lawyers questioned how Spiegel could be sure of his findings without having had contact with the 58-year-old movie star, the psychiatrist replied that he had been denied.
After his testimony, devout #JusticeforJohnnyDepp posters spammed Spiegel’s medical page with negative comments and reviews, calling him “unprofessional” and “idiot.”
“Based on his insane testimony and odd behavior during the Depp-Heard trial, I fear for any patient in his care,” one foe wrote. “A narcissist, a fraudster and an arrogant idiot.”
“Looks like you just wanted to be on TV. Ramped nonsense all the time, dodged all questions, extremely aggressive, ignorant, diagnosing people without even meeting them,” someone else commented. talk about calling Mr. Depp an idiot”.
Some reviews have been captured and posted on Twitter by NBC reporter Kat Tenbarge, which amassed nearly 25,000 likes on the platform, going viral.
But some Heard supporters were quick to hit back at the lackluster reviews, saying Spiegel had done a “fantastic job” testifying.
“All of these one-star reviews are unrelated to patient care,” one person commented. “These are opinions from viewers watching the Johnny Depp trial. Maybe find another place to vent your frustrations.
“It was hard to watch while Johnny Depp’s lawyer laughed at him the whole time. It was like 8th grade bullies. Shameless. Unprofessional. Doctor Spiegel is a hero for defending Amber Heard” , wrote another, who called out the internet hate that Depp fans were spreading on the medical page.
But Spiegel is not the first Heard witness to face a backlash for taking the stand. Earlier this month, clinical psychologist Dawn Hughes received negative reviews on a WebMD page that featured her name and practice, according to NBC News.
“Doesn’t believe men can be abused,” one reviewer said. “Extremely biased. Guess she’ll discredit victims just for money.
Still, on the WedMD page, it looks like many reviews have since been deleted.
This isn’t the only very public display of fandom from Depp fans, however. They turned out in droves to support the beloved actor, even camping outside the courthouse to secure a front row seat in the courtroom. Some even spent over $30,000 in travel expenses to attend the trial in person.
Tension between fans on both sides remains high as Heard supporters accuse Depp supporters of misogyny and sexism.
“Amber’s every move on the stand is dissected, and blaming the victim right now means if she’s crying, she’s taking action, and if she’s not crying, then she wasn’t abused,” a said Sara, a Heard fan. who wanted his last name hidden, Insider said. “It’s way bigger than Johnny Depp and Amber Heard.”
Depp is suing his ex-wife Heard, 36, for $50 million for defamation over the publication of Heard’s Washington Post op-ed in 2018. In it, she called herself a “character public representing domestic violence”. Although she never named Depp directly, he claims it devastated his career and reputation, costing him millions of dollars in labor.
In 2020, Heard counter-sued Depp for $100 million, claiming he defamed her when her lawyer told the press that she made up the abuse allegations.