nme.com
18.05.2023 / 19:33
‘Depp vs Heard’: New Channel 4 documentary to air this weekend
Johnny Depp and Amber Heard’s highly publicised court case will air on Channel 4 this weekend.Depp vs Heard is a three-part series from BAFTA-nominated director Emma Cooper, and will offer an in-depth look at last year’s trial, which saw Johnny Depp sue his ex-wife for defamation.The miniseries will explore the impact of social media on the infamous Hollywood court case, which was followed by millions of people around the world.A synopsis for the series reads: “The trial of Depp v Heard, in which both parties accused each other of domestic abuse, was a global media event and dubbed ‘the first TikTok trial’. It raised huge questions about violence, gender and the memeifcation of justice in the era of post-truth.“The series, made by Bitachon365 and co-producer Empress Films, places Depp and Heard’s testimonies side by side for the first time, bringing together courtroom footage, news sources, existing interview footage and User Generated Content from various social media platforms to explore some of the extraordinary moments of the trial and the impact this had on public opinion at the time.”Depp sued his ex-wife for defamation over a 2018 op-ed in The Washington Post, where she wrote about being a survivor of domestic violence.Come the end of the trial, Heard was instructed to pay Depp $10million (£8.4m) in compensatory damages and $5million (£4.2m) in punitive damages.