Depp and Heard came away with wins. The difference is how she was treated online

Johnny Depp won his defamation trial, and Amber Heard has partially won her countersuit against Depp. Depp won $10 million in compensatory damages and, $5 million in punitive damages. Heard won $2 million in compensatory damages.

But in the court of public opinion, Depp was announced the winner from day one thanks to internet trolls.

Depp sued his ex-wife for $50 million, claiming she falsely accused him of domestic violence in an opinion column that appeared in The Washington Post. In 2020, Depp lost a similar case against The Sun newspaper in a British court when the judge found that the evidence presented was "substantially true." Heard countersued Depp after his lawyer said her claims were false in statements to the press.

Heard is two decades younger than her former husband and was significantly less famous than he was when they were married.

She argued from the beginning that no one would believe her against Depp. Based on the deplorable responses on the internet, that has proved to be true.

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The facts vs. the trolls

I am not here to relitigate the facts presented at trial. Suffice it to say, during the trial, their marriage counselor testified that there was "mutual abuse." But for Depp fans and social media users with no expertise in the matter, the ongoing defamation case has turned into an all-out assault on just one of the parties involved: Heard.

I won't go into details because ... why? But on Twitter, the hashtags #MenToo and #JohnnyDepp have been trending with fans of Depp who would otherwise consider themselves "feminists" calling out Heard for "misandry." On apps like TikTok and Instagram, she has been ridiculed for how she described what she says happened to her. She has been trolled for her emotional facial expressions. She has been trolled for alleging abuse at all.

Even "Saturday Night Live" jumped into the fray with what I thought was an entirely unfunny and arguably tasteless skit, mostly focused on making fun of Heard.

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Victim-blaming for social media clout

These abusive takes racked up millions of views, and it's no small thing. Bullying and victim-blaming have always been a problem, but the internet has expanded and boosted the audience for the humiliation.

As for the not-funny problem of domestic violence: Around the country, people are victims of intimate partner violence every day, but women experience physical and sexual violence at a much higher rate. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, about 1 in 4 women and nearly 1 in 10 men have experienced contact sexual violence, physical violence, and/or stalking by an intimate partner during their lifetime.

Social media users of both sexes have turned a legal battle into a misogynistic free-for-all, and they face no consequences whatsoever for their posts. It's a reminder of how the internet is able to bring out the worst in us and put that on display for millions of people to watch and partake in.

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There are real-life consequences of this behavior, too. It sets a very dangerous precedent for people, women in particular, to decide to come forward with allegations of abuse. This is especially true if the allegations are against someone powerful, or with a large social media following. Victims of intimate partner violence will continue to face abuse but may be less likely to report that abuse because of the online vitriol they're sure to face.

And that may be the saddest part of the story.

Carli Pierson, a New York licensed attorney, is an opinion writer with USA TODAY, and a member of the USA TODAY Editorial Board. Follow her on Twitter: @CarliPiersonEsq

You can read diverse opinions from our Board of Contributors and other writers on the Opinion front page, on Twitter @usatodayopinion and in our daily Opinion newsletter. To respond to a column, submit a comment to letters@usatoday.com.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Depp-Heard verdict: Both got wins. But only Amber was hated online.