[imagesource: Michael Reynolds / Pool via Reuters]
Judging by media coverage and chatter on social media, Amber Heard is losing the PR battle in the ongoing libel case brought against her by Johnny Depp.
That story about somebody defecating in the bed she shared with Depp really hasn’t done Heard any favours.
Depp has spent time on the stand outlining his version of events and that’s very much in his favour. After all, when you file the case and go first you get to shape the narrative right from the start whereas Heard will be up against many who have already dug their heels in when she testifies.
Either way, Heard is not happy with how things are going and has reportedly sacked her PR team, Precision Strategies. The firm specialises in politics, reports Vanity Fair:
Heard has hired Shane Communications, a Los Angeles– and New York–based firm that has a history of facing off against Depp in the press. Shane Communications helped the Management Group, Depp’s former business managers, whom he sued in 2017 for allegedly mismanaging his finances, get the word out about allegations against him.
The Management Group reportedly claimed that Depp “needed to hire a shrink for his ‘compulsive spending’ habit of $2 million per month.”
During Depp’s time on the stand, he’s painted a picture of a very tumultuous relationship with a woman prone to react violently in certain situations.
His team also hired a psychologist to appear on the stand and testify that Heard has both borderline personality disorder and histrionic personality disorder.
Depp’s intense online fan army may also be a factor in Heard’s decision. It’s an enormous group that appears to have grown more visible since the trial began, and it comprises those commenting online and lining up at the courthouse to catch a glimpse of Depp or get a coveted wristband that allows one to enter the courtroom.
The live feed of the trial has also inspired intense meme-ing, most of it in favor of Depp, which does not help the overall feeling that Heard has lost ground in the court of public opinion.
Heard will eventually take to the stand – perhaps even today – and face a serious uphill battle to turn the tide of public opinion. She has already lost the legal battle to have the trial live-streamed, which Depp’s team pushed for.
PR experts who spoke to The New York Post reckon she’s made a real faux pas by switching teams in the middle of the trial.
“After years of narrative building, you can’t change the public’s opinion in the three weeks when someone is suing you in a case,” said a crisis management PR insider.
Ex-Pete Buttigieg campaign maven Lis Smith said, “It’s crazy to change teams in the middle of a trial like this because you don’t like the headlines.”
All in all, it’s not going well for Heard.
This week, it could all get a lot worse, too.
[sources:vanityfair&nypost]
