Emma Cooper’s “Depp v. Heard” premiered on Netflix on Aug. 16, quickly rising to the highest of the streaming service’s most watched titles. The three-part docuseries dives into Johnny Depp and Amber Heard‘s defamation trial, which followed Heard’s 2018 op-ed published in The Washington Post that detailed the actress’ allegations of past sexual violence.
Within the second episode of the series, “Depp v. Heard” shows how the trial set the web ablaze, creating an intensive discussion that was livestreamed, “memed” and highly promoted on social media. In April 2022, beauty brand Milani Cosmetics joined the talk with a video published on its TikTok account that’s now a part of the documentary.
“Depp v. Heard”
Courtesy of Netflix
Milani’s reference to the defamation trial began once Heard’s attorney J. Ben Rottenborn and lawyer Elaine Bredehoft used certainly one of the brand’s products, the All in One Correcting Kit, in an illustration as an example the actress’ allegations of usually carrying makeup together with her to cover up bruises brought on by her ex-husband’s alleged physical abuse.
“That is what Amber carried in her purse for your entire relationship with Johnny Depp,” Bredehoft said. “She’s an actor. Are you able to truthfully think she would’ve left her apartment ever without makeup? Do you think that that she ever would’ve wanted other people to see her bruises and her cuts?”
Although Heard’s lawyers had never made a press release specifically in regards to the Milani Cosmetics color-correcting palette, the brand’s logo was visible on the front of the product they held.
Elaine Bredehoft, Amber Heard’s lawyer, speaks contained in the courtroom on April 12, 2022, in Fairfax, Virginia.
POOL/AFP via Getty Images
TikTok users identified that Milani’s All in One Correcting Kit was launched in 2017, one 12 months after Heard filed for divorce from Depp. Milani responded with a video on its account confirming the 12 months of release. “You asked us…let the record show that our Correcting Kit launched in 2017,” read the caption.
Some social media users criticized the brand for leveraging the trial for attention. Milani Cosmetics released a press release saying the “video was to confirm the claim that our eagle-eyed and constant fan base made in regards to the product named within the trial” and added that the corporate wasn’t “taking a proper stance on the trial, evidence or future end result of the case.”
In “Depp v. Heard,” a message on the screen reads, “Milani Cosmetics have since removed the video from their TikTok account.” Nonetheless, although the video can’t be found on the brand’s TikTok profile, X — formerly referred to as Twitter — users identified that it’s still available for those with a direct link.
Depp sued Heard for defamation asking for $50 million in damages over her op-ed published by The Washington Post. The couple first met in 2009 while filming “The Rum Diary,” and got married in February 2015. Over a 12 months later, in May 2016, Heard filed for divorce.
In June 2022, Heard was found liable on three counts of defamation by the jury and Depp was granted $10.35 million in damages, while Heard was granted $2 million in damages for one count of defamation. Later in December 2022, the 2 parties reached a settlement with Heard paying Depp $1 million.
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