By: Zoe Strickland Managing Editor
Why is it, that when someone famous is accused of a crime, it rarely ever affects them?
Last year, Johnny Depp was accused of domestic abuse by his then-wife Amber Heard. Despite clear evidence that Heard had been injured, people still took Depp’s side. Even now, after their
divorce has been settled some, including Depp’s lawyers, claim that Heard was only trying to prolong her time in the spotlight, even though she’s an actress with multiple forthcoming movies.
Abusing Heard barely put a dent in Depp’s career. According to the Internet Movie Database, he is slated to have ten roles within the next two years.
Depp is nowhere near the only celebrity whose abusive tendencies have been overlooked in favor of their career. Bill Murray, Gary Oldman, Michael Fassbender, John Lennon and Chris Brown are only some of the people who make the list.
As a society, we need to start asking ourselves why we justify spending our money supporting people who commit crimes, why we assist in breeding a culture that inherently sides with the accused.
Though the accusations against Depp had nothing to do with his career, the money and power he obtained as a result of his celebrity status most likely played a role in how the domestic abuse accusations were perceived.
People in my life have made the argument that a celebrity’s personal life shouldn’t play a role in how their professional work is viewed. I disagree.
We exist in a money-driven, power-hungry society. Consuming the work of someone who has been accused of something like domestic violence is still a form of promotion; your views and ‘likes’ and ‘shares’ are still building revenue. You’re putting money in the hands of the people who do things you don’t agree with, and money talks.
After all, when Tiger Woods cheated on his wife he lost multiple sponsorship deals. If something like infidelity can have a negative impact on someone’s career, why does abuse not result in a similar outcome?
If Disney sees that people are going to theatres to see the next “Pirates” movie, they are more likely to use its lead, Johnny Depp, in their movies.
According to the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence, one in three women and one in four men will be victims of domestic violence in their lifetime. Rather than spending your money on a movie or CD by a celebrity who has committed an act of violence, consider putting that money towards helping victims of domestic violence.
You can donate to the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence by going to ncadv.org.
Contact the author at zstrickland14@wou.edu.
