Depp–Heard Archives Unearthed

A long-delayed conclusion landing on the three-year anniversary of the defamation trial that gripped a nation

Are we ever truly done with our favorites?

In honor of the three-year anniversary of the verdict that came down in Depp’s favor, I’ve put together a short series dedicated to the untold chapters of the trial.

B-roll for your reading pleasure.

The first installment will drop Monday, June 1.

As a refresher: In the summer of 2022, a Virginia jury found Amber Heard guilty of defaming her ex-lover in a 2018 Washington Post op-ed. Depp was awarded $10 million in compensatory damages and $5 million in punitive—later reduced to $350,000 under state law. Heard, for her part, was granted $2 million after the jury found a statement from Depp’s team defamatory as well.

This series picks up where coverage left off—while also exploring why I fell out of love with celebrity tracking, and why I regret the soundtrack that defined the media frenzy that hooked us all.

These are notes and materials never shared before.

The goal isn’t to re-litigate the case, but to shed light on what was potentially overlooked, under-examined, and overly adored—to reflect on how the trial shaped me as a writer, and how the experience altered the lives and reputations of those sucked into the bizarre center of it all.

Hope to see you back here then.