Depp and Heard were married for just over a year but have already spent three times than that in litigation. Depp is suing Heard for $50 million based largely on a 2018 Washington Post opinion piece where she described herself a survivor of domestic and sexual violence. The irony is that the higher standard for public figures was imposed by the Supreme Court because celebrities are viewed as inherently powerful figures in our society. Most of us recognize the value of a higher standard to protect citizens in criticizing government officials. The fact that someone is a hotdog eating champ or local graffiti artist does not seem to justify the imposition of a higher standard of proof.

Source: Washington Post April 14, 2022 17:59 UTC