*Americans are allegedly more engaged with the Johnny Depp/Amber Heard defamation trial than they are with “soaring inflation, the ongoing pandemic and the likely overturn of Roe v. Wade,” per The New York Post.
Here’s more from the report:
The blockbuster defamation trial between Johnny Depp and Amber Heard is currently generating more social media engagement than any other topic, according to data from media monitoring platform NewsWhip. The data firm claims that the captivating courtroom drama has garnered an average of 508 social media interactions — i.e. likes, comments and shares — for each published article over the past month. That is almost five times as much engagement as articles pertaining to abortion (141 social media interactions) and more than 10 times as much engagement as articles about COVID-19 (44 social media interactions).
“Hands down it’s a record-setter for us,” Rachel Stockman, president of Law & Crime network, told Axios of the trial on Wednesday.
READ MORE: Chris Rock Goes in on Amber Heard – He’s Obviously Siding with Johnny Depp
Depp is currently suing his ex-wife for defamation over her 2018 op-ed for the Washington Post in which Heard called herself a “public figure representing domestic abuse.” She did not name Depp in the article, but he took it personally and claims it cost him acting roles, including being dropped by Disney and the sixth “Pirates of the Caribbean” film.
Jerry Bruckheimer, who produced the “Pirates of the Caribbean” films, has shared an update about Depp’s involvement in the franchise.
When asked by The Times about whether Depp would return, Bruckheimer said “Not at this point.” He added, “The future is yet to be decided.”
“We’re talking to Margot Robbie,” he said of the actress potentially taking over the lead character. “We are developing two ‘Pirates’ scripts — one with her, one without.”
Depp is seeking $50 million in damages in the defamation case, while Heard has filed a $100 million countersuit.
