Heard is apparently “frustrated with her story not being told effectively.” She has now hired Shane Communications.
With the Johnny Depp - Amber Heard defamation trial entering its fourth week, it has been getting a lot of attention in the media, especially on social media. People have been forming their opinions about the sensitive matter of domestic violence and taking sides as well. So far, the testimonies that have been made in the courtroom have painted both actors in a bad light, more so in the case of Heard.
This has prompted Heard to fire her PR team just days before she is expected to testify in the case. Last week she let go of the crisis PR firm Precision Strategies because, “She doesn’t like bad headlines,” as per a source. Another source noted, as per New York Post, that Heard is “frustrated with her story not being told effectively.” The testimonies in court so far have mostly been against her claims of physical abuse. Not to mention the social media barrage, including a petition to have her fired from Aquaman, that has crossed three million signatures over the course of the trial so far.
She has now hired consulting firm Shane Communications in the hopes that they will be able to help her garner a better public opinion as she takes the stand on Wednesday. The firm has worked against Depp in the past when they managed to highlight his alleged spending problem.
Amber Heard Axes Crisis PR Team Amid Flurry of Bad Press as She Prepares to Testify https://t.co/sEUu16Wsxr
— Law & Crime (@lawcrimenews) May 2, 2022
Heard had claimed domestic abuse when she first applied for a restraining order against Depp before filing for divorce in 2016. The divorce was settled for $7 million at the time that Heard promised to giveaway to charity. During the trial, the general counsel of the ACLU, Terence Dougherty, testified stating that the foundation believed Musk had paid $500,000 to help Heard fulfill a $3.5 million donation pledge to the organization. He also revealed that he helped draft the Washington Post op-ed that led to the defamation suit. Heard's physical abuse was confirmed by two of Depp's bodyguards during the trial as well.
“It’s pretty strange when one day you’re Cinderella, so to speak, then 0.6 seconds you’re Quasimodo,” Depp stated in court about his career going downhill after Heard’s accusations. “I didn’t deserve that, nor did my children, nor did the people who have believed in me for all these years. I didn’t want any of those people to believe that I had done them wrong or lied to them or that I was a fraud. I pride myself on honesty.” The op-ed has been said to be "defamation by implication" and Depp's attorneys have claimed it has caused him severe financial loss as well as adversely impacted his career prospects as well.
Depp has previously also filed a case against The Sun, the British tabloid for publishing an article calling him a wife-beater. He lost the case in a London court. The current trial is taking place in Fairfax County, Virginia, with three more weeks left in the trial.