Warner Bros and The Johnny Depp Controversy

As you all might know, Johnny Depp was the leading antagonist in the Fantastic Beasts series, the prequel to the Harry Potter Series. However, he was removed from the role of Gellert Grindelwald following a UK judgement that called him a "wife-beater".

As soon as the news came out, fans all over the world became agitated, everyone demanding that Johnny Depp be brought back. #justiceforJohnnyDepp was actually trending on Twitter as well as a petition which right now has about 100000 signs.

Well, many not familiar with the claim as well as why people were suddenly supporting an abuser were left confused. So, the I.T.S decided to bring to you why exactly is this happening.

Depp and Heard first met on the sets of "The Rum Diary", in which they starred together. In 2014, Amber Heard was spotted wearing what looked like an engagement ring. They married in 2015 in a private ceremony, but Heard filed divorce a year later, accusing Depp of domestic abuse. A $7 million settlement was reached out of court on August 16, 2016.

In 2020, phone recordings were released in which both Heard and Depp admitted to having abused each other during their relationship.

On July 2020, Johnny Depp sued The Sun for libel. It lasted for three weeks, in which Depp alleged Heard of many things including extra-marital affairs with James Franco and Elon Musk.

On November 3, the court ruled against Depp. Following this Warner Bros asked him to resign and this he did on 6th November 2020.

The reason for this uproar is mainly due to the fact that the Judge was allegedly part of Amber Heard's legal team. According to sources, the judge only concentrated on Heard's testimony and completely disregarded the mountain of evidence from police officers and medical practitioners. The completely biased judgement is what made the public angry.

What is more is that Amber Heard gets to keep her role in Aquaman, also under the Warner Bros banner, despite overwhelming evidence on her being an abuser as well. At a time when laws are far more suited for women rather than men, this story angered fans who allege that Depp was removed for being a man. Meanwhile, Warner Bros, undeterred by the internet propaganda has gone forward with the shooting and recasting of Grindelwald. The film world can only hope that it plays out better than bringing Michael Gambon in the middle of a series, something that happened in the original series.

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