Fox News’ Martha MacCallum reacted to the verdict in the Depp v. Heard defamation trial — in which Depp was awarded $15 million in damages — stating that the verdict puts “a stake in the heart” of the notion that we should “believe all women.”
“It’s interesting to watch this dynamic in the frame of these #MeToo stories and cases that we have watched so many of — and there have been some pieces written that this puts a bit of a stake in the heart of the notion that you believe all women,” MacCallum said on Wednesday, after the jury’s verdict was announced.
Watch Below:
“That regardless of your sex, you can either be telling the truth or not be telling the truth, depending on any given individual circumstance in these situations, and for a while, that idea was gone, and it appears that with this, some semblance of justice — appears to exist,” MacCallum added.
MacCallum was referring to a popular phrase among the #MeToo movement and left-wing activists, which had called on people to “believe women” when they make allegations, simply because of their sex — a notion that was seemingly abandoned during the Depp v. Heard trial.
Depp sued Amber Heard for $50 million, claiming that a 2018 Washington Post op-ed — in which she described as a victim of domestic abuse — has harmed his movie career. Heard countersued for $100 million.
After a seven-week televised trial featuring countless hours of testimony and courtroom drama — which captivated viewers across the world — the jury found that a statement accusing Depp of sexual violence and domestic abuse was defamatory.
The jury also found for Depp on all three of his defamation claims, awarding the Pirates of the Caribbean star $10 million in compensatory damages, and $5 million in punitive damages.
Additionally, the jury found for Heard on only one of her two claims, awarding her $2 million in compensatory damages but no punitive damages, which sent the message that they found her to be more at fault.
You can follow Alana Mastrangelo on Facebook and Twitter at @ARmastrangelo, and on Instagram.