Johnny Depp fans attack, Women's March for supporting Amber Heard | CTB News

Johnny Depp fans attack Women's March for supporting Amber Heard.

"Our tweet thread was about what happens to women who stand up to abuse. The assaults on us prove our point."

Johnny Depp's followers no longer try to mask the misogyny behind their assaults on Amber Heard. His followers have tried to "cancel" the Women's March after the organization supported Heard and other domestic abuse victims in a long thread about "Andrew Tate, Johnny Depp, [and] Marilyn Manson" and their internet hatred.

The Tuesday thread included abuse charges against Tate, a former pro-boxer, reality show star, and ubiquitous TikTok influencer, including video of him striking a lady. The Women's March unpacked sexist harassment spurred by Depp's defamation case against Heard and his association with Manson, who's been accused of domestic violence. “Sexism & misogyny are the reasons so much of the internet believes Johnny Depp, not his victim, Amber Heard,” the Women's March account tweeted. Depp and Marilyn Manson's fans harassed Evan Rachel Wood after the Depp trial, despite Wood's abuse at Manson's hands.

When society regards victimized women as scheming bitches rather than victims and survivors, that's rape culture and misogyny. If Amber Heard and Evan Rachel Wood can't be believed, we're doomed.

In the days afterwards, the thread has been flooded with answers accusing the Women's March of not watching the trial and repeating that "Amber Heard is the abuser." Pro-Depp users accuse #ShutDownWomensMarch of being organized by "feminazis" and promoting "false claims against men." In other words, the response has been consistent with Depp's camp's messaging: that they're the genuine advocates of survivors, that Heard and Depp's relationship was "mutually abusive" or that she was the lone abuser, and that real feminists support Depp, her "victim."

"Our Twitter thread was about women who stand up to abuse and authority. The assaults on us for doing so prove what we claimed, said Women's March executive director Rachel O'Leary Carmona.

The thread comes months after Depp's defamation trial verdict, but his followers are still motivated to attack Heard's supporters.

Michele Dauber, a Stanford professor who rallied against the judge who sentenced Brock Turner to six months, isn't shocked. Depp fans have harassed her online.

"It's not unexpected that they're attacking a major women's rights movement like Women's March since their purpose is to frighten survivors from coming forward and others from supporting them," Dauber told Jezebel. She urged "all feminist organizations to support Amber Heard and demand that Twitter, YouTube, and other sites cease monetizing targeted hatred targeting survivors."

Shauna Thomas, co-founder and executive director of Ultraviolet, told USA Today that Depp's side attacked her for supporting Heard throughout the trial. Social media platforms enabled and magnified latent sexism in society. A third of women under 35 and 70% of LGBTQ individuals encounter online harassment, and 61% of women versus 48% of men call it a "serious problem."

A report last month highlighted internet intimidation of Heard supporters. One in five accounts using the hashtags #AmberHeardIsAnAbuser, #AmberHeardLsAnAbuser, #AmberHeardIsALiar, and #AmberHeardLsALiar "spammed," and those who supported Heard "were harassed ruthlessly." The investigation determined Twitter "didn't do enough to prevent platform manipulation and abuse"

The online attacks were spurred by The Daily Caller's ad buy and a former Trump communications staffer's PR direction.

Heard and her legal team presented convincing proof that Depp sexually attacked her. Unsealed court documents confirmed that Depp's crew modified photographs and audio, and that they planned to use naked photos of Heard against her. Texts from Depp and his assistant backed Heard's claim that he kicked and beat her on a private plane in 2014; documents reveal Depp testified that Heard had never hurt him.

Depp's legal team succeeded in the court of public opinion by calling Heard's answers to Depp's assault "mutual abuse," citing doubtful sources to paint her as "mad," and tacitly slut-shaming her by focusing on an extramarital affair she denied. The largely male jury found in Depp's favor, ordering Heard to pay him $15 million.