(Content warning: domestic abuse)

Many of you probably know this already, but Amber Heard filed for a divorce from Johnny Depp back on May 21st. I’ve always been a fan of Johnny Depp and Amber Heard as actors, and have enjoyed most of their movies. I had heard about their marriage, and their recent divorce, but wasn’t aware of the details as I tend to not pay attention to celebrities outside of their art, unless that celebrity does something incredibly egregious…

Well…

Now I know the reason Amber Heard has filed for divorce. Alex Rudewell over at Skepchick posted a statement released by Amber Heard’s legal team. I’m going to post that statement here. Be aware that this statement contains discussion and descriptions of domestic abuse.

“As the result of Amber’s decision to decline giving an initial statement to the LAPD, her silence has been used against her by Johnny’s team. Amber did not provide a statement to the LAPD in an attempt to protect her privacy and Johnny’s career. Johnny’s team has forced Amber to give a statement to the LAPD to set the record straight as to the true facts, as she cannot continue to leave herself open to the vicious false and malicious allegations that have infected the media. Amber has suffered through years of physical and psychological abuse at the hands of Johnny.”

“In domestic violence cases, it is not unusual for the perpetrator’s playbook to include miscasting the victim as the villain. In reality, Amber acted no differently than many victims of domestic violence, who think first of the harm that might come to the abuser, rather than the abuse they have already suffered. Amber can no longer endure the relentless attacks and outright lies launched against her character in the Court of Public Opinion since the tragic events of May 21st. With her statement Amber hopes to give the LAPD the opportunity to conduct an accurate and complete investigation into the events of that evening and before. If that occurs, and the truth is revealed, there is no doubt that Amber’s claims will be substantiated beyond any doubt, and hopefully Johnny will get the help that he so desperately needs.”

“From the beginning it has been Amber’s desire to keep this matter as private as possible, even though LAPD officers responded to a 911 call made by a third-party. The LAPD officers viewed not only the disarray that Johnny had caused in the apartment but also the physical injuries to Amber’s face. We filed the Petition for Dissolution of Marriage at the very end of the day on Monday May 23rd and we did not serve Johnny with the Petition at the premiere of Alice Through the Looking Glass that evening. We sent a letter to Johnny’s counsel team the next morning making it clear we wanted to keep this matter out of the media. We then held off requesting a domestic violence restraining order as we knew that Johnny was out of the country.”

“We took the high road. Unfortunately, Johnny’s team immediately went to the press and began viciously attacking Amber’s character. Amber is simply a victim of domestic violence, and none of her actions are motivated by money. Amber is a brave and financially independent woman who is showing the courage of her convictions by doing the right thing against Johnny’s relentless army of lawyers and surrogates.”

“The Family Law Court is not going to be influenced by misinformation placed in the social media based on anonymous sources. Amber is the victim. Amber is a hero.”

Now, when I linked to Alex’s piece on my Facebook profile, I said this:

So one of my favorite actors is an abusive asshole. That’s another one off my list… I will no longer be supporting his work.

And I got a response basically saying that the bruise is on the wrong side of the face and it healed too quickly. There are explanations for both of those things that don’t involve Amber lying… at all.

I am on record as saying that I will always believe and stand with the victim until evidence comes out that they’re lying, because them actually lying is so incredibly rare that there’s no reason to entertain it; in our culture of victim-blaming, I do not believe that most people would think lying like this would be worth it. And since I am not a judge in a court of law, there is no obligation for me, personally, to uphold the “innocent until proven guilty” axiom. I choose to believe that the victim is innocent of lying until proven guilty.

So unless and until details and facts come out showing that Amber lied, I stand by my statement on my Facebook post, and I stand with Amber Heard.

I’ll end with the following picture I saw on Twitter:

Society: Why don’t people speak up about domestic violence? Why do they suffer in silence instead of seeking help?

Amber Heard: Provides photographic evidence, verbal accounts, and a police complaint to prove that Johnny Depp abused her. Files for divorce and a restraining order to prevent further domestic violence.

Society: “innocent until proven guilty”, “don’t jump to conclusions”, “we don’t know the full story”, “don’t believe everything you see on the media”, “he doesn’t seem like that type of guy”, “she’s a gold digger”, “she just wants his money”
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Also… I found a whole bunch of other stuff at the Tumblr blog in the image above you should consider reading:

Amber Heard has been a “perfect victim”
#I Stand With Amber Heard
About “Innocent Until Proven Guilty”
This Will be Hell for Amber Heard
Apparently, Victims of Abuse Aren’t Ever Allowed to Smile Again (also, Tricks DV Victims Use to Hide)
It is Not Okay to Victim-Blame
“How Dare Amber Heard Claim Spousal Support?!?”