It’s a Win for Johnny Depp. The Untold Story of Domestic Abuse Against Men.

Like a lot of people, I followed the Depp-Heard trial from the beginning till the jury reached its verdict. Johnny was awarded $15 million in total for his claim that Amber defamed his character when she accused him of domestically abusing her, and Amber was awarded $2 million in compensatory damages. The Jury clearly found that Heard did defame Depp’s character and that it was done intentionally with malicious intent. The shock of it all.

 As a woman, I suppose I am expected by some to automatically support the woman’s claims in a case of domestic abuse. Women think other women should rally behind them if they scream ‘abuser’ and point the finger at a man. Absolutely not! Not me, and not the Jury in this case. We must always examine the evidence and pass a fair judgment. Who said women are incapable of being abusive to men? Domestic abuse comes in all forms, and I bet more often than is reported men face abuse from their partners as well. The reason why men might shy away from reporting their attacks is either out of fear of being labelled the villain, or fear of the stigma that is attached to a man being on the receiving end of an abusive relationship. Hopefully, the Depp-Heard case can show men that it is okay to report cases of domestic abuse against women. Johnny Depp lost a freaking finger people, and he kept his mouth shut. Total no-no. By keeping it quiet for too long his ex-wife was able to control the narrative and play the victim. What followed was a series of events that led to him missing out on career opportunities, one of which was his famous role as Captain Jack Sparrow.

Examining all the evidence provided by both parties I’m astounded that Amber had the gall to allege that Johnny was the main abuser in their relationship. The number of horrendous abuse that Mr. Depp endured in her hands for years while wearing a brave face in public makes me wonder how many men out there are suffering similar or even worse conditions but are choosing to remain silent. It’s not hard to imagine how she the abuser was confident enough to take the victim’s stance and paint Johnny as the villain. We live in a world where it seems like men aren’t allowed to be victims of domestic abuse. This of cause is a misconception that needs to be cleared. It’s not that men aren’t victims of domestic abuse but they are not allowed to be one. This has nothing to do with the actual law on domestic violence but more to do with how men think. That’s my theory anyway. I can’t tell you what or how a man thinks but I do know men are ruled by ego. In any case, today’s verdict should be a warning to women out there that assume they can use their gender as a forcefield to shield them from facing the consequences of being the perpetrators of domestic abuse. Being a woman does not give you the right to be abusive towards a man and it certainly does not exempt you from facing the law.

Amber made a statement after her loss saying the court’s ruling is a ‘setback’ for women. No sweetie, you abusing your ex-husband and crying wolf is the real setback for women. Women fought for years for the justice system to take their claims of domestic abuse seriously just for it to be misappropriated by these overly entitled women. It’s a disgrace to the thousands of women that are being forced to live through scary, and sometimes life-threatening relationships. Going forward I wonder if every woman that screams domestic violence will be looked at with a side-eye. If one woman can lie about it, any woman can. This is in fact true, as damaging as it sounds. The justice system needs to pay closer attention to the claims women make against men. Just because she’s the woman doesn’t automatically mean she’s the victim of domestic abuse. It could be the man, as it was in the case of Johnny Depp. I’m sickened at the reality of how much this case has actually set women back, but not the way Amber implied. 

Domestic abuse isn’t only physical. It’s also verbal, emotional, psychological, and even financial. If you are a man and you are experiencing domestic abuse please seek immediate help. Everyone deserved to be heard, no pun intended. I know we live in a time where it seems like men are getting silenced, but we must all rally behind the voice of truth. Men have a voice too. They have feelings, and they hurt too. Johnny’s win is a symbol of hope for the men out there who feel their voices can’t be heard.