Suzanne Harrington: Amber Heard had the digital equivalent of a witch burning

It is the tip of an anti #MeToo backlash that has been bubbling furiously ever since the case of Harvey Weinstein, and the resulting tidal wave of women speaking up

Actor Amber Heard reacts with her lawyer Elaine Bredehoft after the verdict was read. Picture: Evelyn Hockstein/Pool via AP

In 2016, when the marriage of Johnny Depp and Amber Heard fell apart, Depp texted a friend: “She is begging for global humiliation. She is going to get it.” Mission accomplished, Mr Depp. Your PR machine has been exemplary. 

What we have witnessed in recent weeks – even if we had made a conscious effort to blank out the entire toxic spectacle – is the hideous humiliation of a woman who presented as an imperfect victim, rather than the innocent, helpless, hand-wringing kind that we all prefer. Thanks to your control of the narrative, it was Captain Jack Sparrow who won your case – the lovable rogue versus the harridan, the mental case, the object of your hatred and disgust.