Johnny Depp vs. Amber Heard: What we lose when we turn real life into entertainment

For Depp superfans, securing a victory for the Pirates of the Caribbean star was their new raison d'etre. Photos: Reuters

The mixed verdict in the Johnny Depp vs. Amber Heard defamation case seems, at the very least, reflective of the complex tumult that seemed to define the actors' relationship, the details of which unfolded over six seemingly endless weeks in an unassuming Virginia courthouse.

But it wasn't wholly satisfying for those Depp superfans who decided that securing a victory for the Pirates of the Caribbean star was their new raison d'etre. For those people, who appeared to multiply with every passing day on every possible media platform, the only acceptable outcome was a total humiliation for Heard, who has been raised up the ultimate example of the #MeToo movement gone awry.