Opinion: Forget Amber Heard, beware of the misogynist backlash

The Johnny Depp, Amber Heard case did not only air the dirty laundry of their toxic relationship, it also brought misogynists out of the woodwork. But there's an even greater issue to worry about, says DW's Julia Hitz.

US actress Amber Heard has been the target of online threats

Who would have thought the US TV channel, Law & Crime, would ever see such record viewer numbers? For the past weeks, audiences around the globe tuned into the Depp versus Heard trial each evening,eager to witness to dirty laundry being aired in the high-profile Hollywood case.

But wait, in reality, this trial actually focused on something else: To determine whether actress Amber Heard wrongfully accused her famous ex-husband, actor Johnny Depp, of domestic abuse. The trial, in short, sought to answer whether Heard was guilty of defamation.

The jury has now largely sided with Depp and against Heard. Now Depp's legal victory is being seized on by some to question Heard's credibility. They are busily commenting on and tweeting about her, sharing the #AmberHeardIsALiar hashtag. Some even claim she has brought down the #MeToo movement. But that view is unjustified and dangerous.

DW's Julia Hitz

Measures aimed at pushing back against progressive developments are known as a backlash.

The backlash against the US civil rights movement has been well analyzed. It manifested itself in protests against the abolition of racial seregation in 1950s America.

In the early 1990s, US journalist and Pulitzer laureate Susan Faludi analyzed the anti-feminist pushback that has occurred over previous decades, taking aim at women's rights. Faludi found that such pushbacks happened in the mid-19th century, around the turn of the century, as well as in the 1940s and 1970s, each time halting feminist movements in their track.

It is clear to see that yet again the US is in the middle of an anti-feminist pushback. Essential women's rights, such as the right to abortion, granted in 1973, are in jeopardy and could be scrapped by the US Supreme Court. Scores of angry protesters took the streets in May to express their outrage.

Time to re-focus

This ongoing backlash also manifests itself in the reactions that the Depp versus Heard trial has drawn.

Heard is the target of endless criticsm. She is attacked by those who still cling to the idea that Johnny Depp is essentially a jovial and eccentric "Pirate of the Caribbean." Heard is also lambasted by those who prefer to direct their anger toward a young, successful woman instead of an accomplished man. And lastly, she is beng singled out by those who would like to turn back the clock because they had taken issue with the #MeToo movement long before this trial ever began.

This is clear from comments claiming the #MeToo movement is now dead, based on the inadequacies, contradictions and inconsistencies found in Heard's court testimonies. It is also clear, incidentally, from commentators who have let themselves be instrumentalized to make such claims. We must pay close attention in coming weeks and months to those who are using this case to try and silence whole movements.

Power balance

The #MeToo movement has provided a platform for, and lent a voice to, victims of sexual violence, most of whom have been women. This community has provided solace to victims and helped shift power dynamics. It has imbued women with power and clout, lending them the drive to launch court cases and see them through.

Affluent white celebrities were not the focus of this movement. Instead marginalized women, who have suffered racism, and lack the financial means, protection orsupport to push back, have been at the center of #MeToo.

The court ruling against Harvey Weinstein serves as an impressive illustration of the power shift that has occurred in favor of women. But this shift is not at the heart of the problem.

In most cases, accusations leveled against abusers are more than justified. Sexual and domestic abuse are real problems. The Heard versus Depp trial changes nothing about this grim fact.

If, however we allow the trial to be interpreted and instrumentalized to further an anti-feminist backlash, we could be in trouble.

Four recommendations

One: The Depp versus Heard trial did not set out to deliver a verdict on the #MeToo movement and its outcome does not entitle anyone to discredit allegations of sexual and domestic violence.

Two: Men, not even the likes of poor old Johnny Depp, do not need extra protection. That's because our patriarchal society already protects and privileges them. They don't need a #MenToo movement. Men who suffered domestic and sexual violence are naturally included in the #MeToo movement, as the movement's initiator Tarana Burke made clear back in 2006.

Three: Bashing Amber Heard is counterproductive. Are we really supposed to believe the 36-year-old actress is responsible for people refusing to believe victims of sexual violence from now on? Anyone tooting on this particular horn, needs to check themselves. 

Four: Stop hurling insults. Misogyny is misogyny. We must continue to fight it in our own everyday lives and on a broader societal level. Calling Amber Heard a monster, whore or witch is misogynistic, offensive and undignified.

This applies to comments made online and offline, regardless of whether they are expressed by husbands, ex-husbands, men or women, or any other human beings.