Amber Heard's Career Doesn't Seem To Be In Too Bad Of Shape Following Trial

In the court of public opinion, the Amber Heard and Johnny Depp defamation trial seems to already have a winner and a loser. Toward the end of the proceedings that began on April 11, social media support for Depp surpassed that of Heard's by a lot, according to NPR. While the hashtag "#IStandWithAmberHeard" had been seen by a hefty 8 million TikTok users, its counterpart "#JusticeForJohnnyDepp" had amassed a whopping 15 billion views by late May.

Depp sued Heard in March 2019 after she penned an essay for the Washington Post describing her experience as a domestic violence survivor, NBC News reported. While Heard didn't name Depp, he argued the implication was clear and damaging to his career. Heard countersued Depp in August 2020, igniting a long and complicated legal battle. Depp seems to have known he stood a chance at winning the popularity vote. While Heard's defense team fought to prevent cameras in the courtroom, Depp's lawyers seemed to embrace it, Variety reported. "Mr. Depp believes in transparency," Ben Chew said.

Depp might also have seen the exposure as his last chance at winning Hollywood back. "The Depp vs Heard trial is the latest example of how social media has become the new barometer of public opinion that makes or breaks careers," Professor Anthony Silard told Forbes. But these predictions might not be set in stone. Despite the lukewarm support she received in the public arena, Heard's career could very well survive.

Hollywood might not be too concerned with Amber Heard's social media standings. While a Change.org petition to remove Heard from "Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom" has amassed more than 4.5 million signatures, Heard will still reprise Mera in the DC Comics sequel expected to come out in March 2023, AS reported. Heard is also set to star in two upcoming films, "In the Fire" and "Run Away with Me," according to her IMDb page.

However, neither movie made the decision to bring on Heard after her trial against Johnny Depp. The first, a period supernatural thriller by the "No Man's Land" director Conor Allyn, is already in post-production. Heard was announced as the female lead in February, Variety reported. The second film, a romantic thriller set in Paris, has been in the works since 2018, according to Variety. 

While Heard argued her role in "Aquaman 2" underwent significant cuts as a result of the legal drama, DC Films President Walter Hamada denied that was the case. He argued that, instead, the decision was made over concerns she and Jason Momoa lacked chemistry, People reported. But not all involved agreed Heard was a poor fit. Co-star Dolph Lundgren, who plays King Nereus in the franchise, had nothing but praise for the actor. "She's terrific," the Swedish actor told TMZ. "I had a great experience with her." Heard might just have enough supporters in Hollywood to thrive in the industry again.