Greens leader Cassy O’Connor sparks backlash over Johnny Depp and Amber Heard trial comments
Greens leader is pilloried for calling Amber Heard a ‘serial liar, abuser and perpetrator’ in tweets during her trial against Johnny Depp
- Tasmanian Greens leader sparked backlash over comments about Amber Heard
- Cassy O’Connor made series of tweets during Johnny Depp defamation trial
- She claimed Ms Heard was ‘not the victim’ and that she was actually the ‘abuser’
Tasmanian Greens leader Cassy O’Connor has been slammed for calling Amber Heard the ‘abuser’ during her defamation trial with Johnny Depp.
Ms O’Connor appeared to side with Depp in a series of posts she made on Twitter throughout the course of the trial between the Hollywood actors.
Depp sued Heard for defamation over a Washington Post article where the actress claimed she was a ‘public figure representing domestic abuse’.
Ms O’Connor claimed Heard was ‘not the victim’ and instead a ‘serial liar’ and ‘perpetrator’.
Tasmanian Greens leader Cassy O’Connor has been slammed for calling Amber Heard the ‘abuser’ during her defamation trial with Johnny Depp
Mr Depp had sued Ms Heard for defamation over a Washington Post article where the actress claimed she was a ‘public figure representing domestic abuse’
‘Sigh… I don’t know if you caught much of the trial but the jury was presented with zero evidence Depp physically abused or sexually assaulted Heard,’ she wrote in one tweet.
‘In contrast, they heard audio of her admitting hitting him multiple times and severing his finger, viciously verbally abusing him.’
Her tweets have sparked outrage with advocates for domestic violence sufferers claiming they were ‘highly distressing’ to victims of abuse.
Engender Equality policy and communications officer Elinor Heard said Ms O’Connor should have been addressing domestic violence issues closer to home.
‘It is really surprising that any politician or public commentator would feel the need to weigh in on a celebrity trial between American actors and millionaires and see that as an issue above and beyond the chronic crisis in family violence in our communities, which is playing out every day of the week,’ she told The Mercury.
Social media users also hit out at the Greens leader, questioning why she chose to weigh in on an overseas trial.
‘Tasmanian greens leader Cassy O’Connor deciding defending Johnny Depp is the hill she wants to die on,’ one wrote.
Another added: ‘You are an MP. You don’t need to comment on the outcome of contentious DV cases in other countries. Get a grip.’
Daily Mail Australia contacted Ms O’Connor for comment.
Ms O’Connor claimed Heard was ‘not the victim’ and instead a ‘serial liar’ and ‘perpetrator’ among other things
Heard meanwhile won just one of her three countersuit claims, which related to statements made by Depp’s lawyer suggesting she and friends had trashed their apartment before calling the police out
After less than three days of deliberation, the jury ruled in favor of all three of Depp’s defamation claims against Heard, finding that she had falsely accused him of domestic abuse.
The actor was awarded $15 million – $10 million in compensation and $5 million in punitive damages.
Heard meanwhile won just one of her three countersuit claims, which related to statements made by Depp’s lawyer suggesting she and friends had trashed their apartment before calling the police out.
She was awarded $2million in compensatory damages out of the $100 million she was seeking in her countersuit against her ex-husband and received zero dollars in punitive damages.
The judge later reduced Depp’s $5 million punitive damages award to the Virginia maximum of $350,000, reducing Depp’s total to $10.35 million – minus the $2 million he was ordered to pay Heard.
Depp walks away from the case with $8.35 million.
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