Johnny Depp: A Voice Stolen

"Tell the world, Johnny, tell them, Johnny Depp — I, Johnny Depp, a man, I'm a victim too of domestic violence. And see how many believe or side with you."

These words sounded worldwide three years ago when the recordings were released and shocked the world.

In 2016, Johnny Depp was accused of domestic violence by his now ex-wife, Amber Heard. We didn't expect to find out that it was the other way around. For six long years, Mr. Depp had kept his silence about what happened. He never tried to fight what these accusations had caused him until 2020 when he took The Sun, a UK tabloid, and Dan Wootton to court for their scathing article that labeled him a "wife-beater." While the loss of this libel case was a hit to many of Johnny Depp's fans, there was still light at the end of the tunnel when Judge Penny Azcarate stated that Mr. Depp was not given a fair trial in the UK.

The world breathed a sigh of relief when Johnny Depp walked into the Fairfax courtroom on April 11th. The defamation case took six long weeks, with many people bearing the stand and hearing very drawn-out deposition videos from both sides. The world stood by to watch the horrific acts that happened to a man that is beloved by many. So many walked into that courtroom, to tell the truth; they knew. Others are shocked that this has caused such a painful moment for Mr. Depp.

However, the silence he had to endure was too familiar. For so long, men have been silent about the abuse they would have to take. The threat of no one ever believing them as they keep their heads done and tight-lipped about their experience. They stood in the shadows, unable to say a word of their experience.

However, the world watched as Mr. Depp stepped forward and said, "Yes, I am a domestic violence victim." A door opened that many have ignored, and once it opened, scores of outcry and stories came forward of men telling their own stories. The tragedies they had to endure in those shadows, the silence they had to keep in fear that no one would believe them.

We can only extend a hand to these men and let them know we believe them. They had stood by in the shadows, and it was time to step forward. To not just heal, but to be able to know that they are not abandoned by the ideology of "believe all women."

No, we must remember that abuse has no gender during this time and that men are victims too. We must believe all victims of abuse, that we should never silence these victims and praise them for surviving and moving forward.

It took one lie to destroy Johnny Depp's reputation, and it took six long years for him to stand there and have his voice returned to him. This case has been a turning point for many men and women to notice that abuse is done by all people and done in different forms. It is never okay for another person to rob you of yourself or your voice. The harshness of the case brought forward, and while many only knew a fraction of what happened. They now understand the whole story as Mr. Depp took the stand to have his voice returned and his story told.

After six weeks of hearing what happened to him, this defamation case had caused a whirlwind for many. But, we now wait for the jury to deliberate and pass a verdict. We may not hear one until May 31st, Tuesday, as Memorial weekend has begun for the US.

While others have stated that if Mr. Depp loses, he still wins in public opinion. We can only hope that the jury will see his truth and consider what he had to endure these past six years of being silent.

We are reminded that we must stand by victims of abuse, and help them when their voices have been stolen from them. We will always stand with you.

If you or somebody you know is in an abusive relationship, please do not hesitate to call the Domestic Abuse Hotline: 800-799-7233