FACT CHECK
Stolen movie quotes and cocaine on the stand — false Amber Heard claims sweep internet
After actress Amber Heard took the stand to face libel allegations levelled by Johnny Depp, thousands of people supporting her ex-husband flooded social media to make wild claims about her testimony, including accusations she plagiarized lines from the movie The Talented Mr. Ripley and used cocaine in front of jurors.
During her testimony last week, Heard painted a picture of an allegedly controlling and physically violent Depp, who, as he was known to the world as one of Hollywood's biggest film stars, was a Dr. Jekyll-Mr. Hyde-like “monster” behind closed doors.
The first time Depp allegedly hit her was after she laughed at a tattoo on his arm.
“I had never been hit like that. I just stared at him. I didn't say anything or react,” she said. “I just stared at him. He slapped me one more time, hard. I lost my balance and all of a sudden, I realized that the worst thing happened to me that could happen … He just hit me.”
But when she spoke about their relationship, socialmedia users falsely accused Heard of ripping off a line from the 1999 film The Talented Mr. Ripley,a psychological thriller that starred Matt Damon, Jude Law and Gwyneth Paltrow. The movie centres on the relationship between a brash millionaire, Dickie Greenleaf (Law), and a murderous impersonator, Tom Ripley (Damon).
The posts circulating Twitter falsely maintained that Heard re-enacted a scene in which Paltrow's character said: “The thing with Dickie ... It's like the sun shines on you, and it's glorious. And then he forgets you and it's very, very cold ... When you have his attention, you feel like you're the only person in the world, that's why everybody loves him so much.”
Breitbart reporter Alana Mastrangelo tweeted a video of Heard on the stand and a scene from the film, saying, “A lot of people reacted to Heard's testimony saying it gave off strong Talented Mr. Ripley vibes ... this tweet is meant to show you what she actually said, along with what was said in the movie, and allow you to decide for yourself.”
Another false claim came from @AuditTheAbsurd, who circulated a fake transcript along with the words: “OMFG. Check this out. Amber Heard on the stand yesterday and what she said compared to the lines in The Talented Mr. Ripley. Holy smokes this is CRAZY. #JusticeForJohnnyDepp.”
But the website Snopes searched news articles about the trial and found no reputable sources reporting that Heard had said these words.
“Those spreading these rumours appear to be actively searching for evidence to support a belief that they had already decided: That Heard was `acting' during her testimony in the trial,” they wrote.
The Associated Press also examined Heard's two-day testimony and found no evidence she had stolen quotes “verbatim” from The Talented Mr. Ripley.
In her testimony, Heard said Depp made her feel “like the most beautiful person in the world” at points during their relationship, which began in 2011 when they were promoting The Rum Diary before ending in divorce in 2016.
Some people on Twitter were also wildly theorizing that the actress was using drugs while on the stand, zeroing in on a clip that has been viewed more than 7.9 million times in which she appears to be seen snorting something from a tissue and then rubbing her nose. Podcaster Joe Rogan also shared the clip to his own Instagram Story, writing, “I've never done coke, but I wonder if it's as addictive as this trial.”
But the notion that Heard was snorting drugs on the stand seems outrageous. Everyone entering the Fairfax County, Va., courtroom has to go through strict security, so the idea that she could sneak cocaine inside is a ludicrous stretch.
A spokesperson for Depp called the Aquaman star's testimony the “performance of her life.”
Heard's rep responded in a statement shared with the Sun, in which they said, “If Mr. Depp was truly innocent, why has he repeatedly apologized to Ms. Heard and promised to put the `monster away for good?' ”
Depp, 58, is suing Heard, 36, for $50 million, claiming that her 2018 Washington Post op-ed defamed him when she described herself as a survivor of domestic abuse. The article never mentioned the Pirates of the Caribbean star by name, but Depp maintains the article implied he was the abuser and impacted his acting career.
Heard has counter-sued for $100 million, arguing Depp smeared her by calling her a liar.
The trial resumes next week.