Amber Heard was supported in a public open letter this week (Picture: Getty)
Amber Heard’s sister has applauded an open letter published in support of the Aquaman actress following her trial against Johnny Depp.
She received huge backlash during the court proceedings earlier this year, and broke down on the stand as she recounted the abuse and comments she had encountered on social media.
Following the trial, which her ex-husband eventually won, the mom-of-one filed an appeal but has since taken a backseat from the spotlight.
Earlier this week, Gloria Steinem added her voice to an open letter condemning the public response that Heard was met with.
In a new post, Whitney Henriquez – who testified on her sister’s behalf – thanked those who had put their names to the message.
‘To simply say that my faith in humanity has been called into question since the trial/verdict would be a gross understatement…,’ she began a lengthy post on Instagram.
Whitney Henriquez declared that the ‘tides are shifting’ after the trial (Picture: AFP)
‘Not only did it highlight some pretty f**king major flaws in the judicial system, it also showed just how deeply misogynistic this world is and how harassment of anyone who speaks out or has a differing opinion is just simply accepted (just take a look at some of the comments on my posts, and undoubtedly this one).
‘It’s a world that I’m scared to raise my kids in, and every day it just seems harder and harder to navigate and deal with. Until today….
‘Seeing this letter signed by over 130 experts and organizations now was a much needed breath of fresh air. Finally, the tides are shifting finally! #istandwithamberheard.’
Depp successfully sued his ex-wife for defamation over an op-ed she wrote for the Washington Post in 2018, in which she discussed her experiences with domestic abuse.
Whitney was beside Amber during the court proceedings (Picture: Backgrid)
Despite never being named in the article, his lawyers argued that it implied he was violent towards her during their relationship, something he fiercely denied.
A jury found in his favor and awarded him $8million of the $50million he sought in damages.
Heard was given $2million of her $100million countersuit after winning one of her counter claims – with the pair since launching separate appeals on the decision.
In the wake of the result, a number of groups including the National Organization for Women and Women’s March signed a letter offering the Justice League star their support, slamming the public response.
Johnny was eventually successful in his defamation suit (Picture: AFP)
A portion of the letter read: ‘Much of this harassment was fueled by disinformation, misogyny, biphobia and a monetized social media environment where a woman’s allegations of domestic violence and sexual assault were mocked for entertainment.
‘The same disinformation and victim-blaming tropes are now being used against others who have alleged abuse.
‘In our opinion, the Depp v. Heard verdict and continued discourse around it indicate a fundamental misunderstanding of intimate partner and sexual violence and how survivors respond to it.’
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‘The damaging consequences of the spread of this misinformation are incalculable,’ it continued. ‘We have grave concerns about the rising misuse of defamation suits to threaten and silence survivors.
‘We condemn the public shaming of Amber Heard and join in support of her.
‘We support the ability of all to report intimate partner and sexual violence free of harassment and intimidation.’
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The trial took place earlier this year.
