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From the bizarre to outright BS: How Johnny Depp fans are skewing the 'FACTS'

After Heard portrayed Depp as a controlling and violent domestic abuser, Depp's fans accused her of stealing a line from the 1999 film 'The Talented Mr. Ripley'

Rabid Johnny Depp fans have flooded the internet with wild claims about Amber Heard's testimony after the actress took the stand last week to face libel allegations brought on by her ex-husband. The 'Aquaman' star was falsely accused of plagiarizing lines from the movie 'The Talented Mr. Ripley' and using cocaine in front of jurors.

Presiding Judge Penney Azcarate adjourned the sensational trial on Thursday, May 5, and proceedings are expected to resume on Monday, May 16. Heard is facing a $50 million lawsuit accused of defaming her ex-husband in a 2018 op-ed in which she stated she was the victim of domestic abuse. And while she didn't name Depp explicitly, his legal team has argued that the implications were obvious and damaged their client's Hollywood career. Heard has filed a counterclaim of $100 million for nuisance, with her legal team arguing her opinion piece was simply a matter of public interest.

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While testifying in court last week, Heard portrayed Depp as a controlling and physically violent domestic abuser who was a "monster" behind closed doors. She claimed the first time she was assaulted by Depp was after she laughed at a tattoo on his arm. “I had never been hit like that. I just stared at him. I didn’t say anything or react,” she said. “I just stared at him. He slapped me one more time, hard. I lost my balance and all of a sudden I realized that the worst thing happened to me that could happen … He just hit me."

After Heard spoke about their relationship, Depp's fans accused the actress of stealing a line from the 1999 film 'The Talented Mr. Ripley', a psychological thriller starring Matt Damon, Jude Law, and Gwyneth Paltrow. Social media was inundated with posts claiming Heard was re-enacting a scene in which Paltrow's character says, “The thing with Dickie… it’s like the sun shines on you, and it’s glorious. And then he forgets you and it’s very, very cold… When you have his attention, you feel like you’re the only person in the world, that’s why everybody loves him so much.” 

“A lot of people reacted to Heard’s testimony saying it gave off strong Talented Mr. Ripley vibes," journalist Alana Mastrangelo tweeted, sharing a video of Heard on the stand and a scene from the film. "This tweet is meant to show you what she actually said, along with what was said in the movie, and allow you to decide for yourself. Maybe she was borrowing a description from the movie to paint Depp as Dickie Greenleaf. Or maybe she just doesn't know what a honeymoon phase is," she added.

“OMFG. Check this out. Amber Heard on the stand yesterday and what she said compared to the lines in The Talented Mr Ripley," YouTuber Auditing the Absurd tweeted, sharing a false transcript. "Holy smokes this is CRAZY. #JusticeForJohnnyDepp."

“Cannot make this up. Amber Heards opening testimony was from The Talented Mr. Ripley. What a f**king joke. CANNOT MAKE THIS UP,” another Twitter user wrote.

However, there were no reputable sources or reports to confirm that Heard had said the exact same words. The Associated Press as well as Snopes examined the actress's two-day testimony and declared she hadn't stolen lines "verbatim" from 'The Talented Mr. Ripley'.

That said, there were also wild theories about the 'Never Back Down' star taking drugs while on the witness stand. One clip has particularly gone viral showing her snorting something from a tissue and then rubbing her nose. 

“I’ve never done coke, but I wonder if it’s as addictive as this trial," podcaster Joe Rogan wrote while sharing the clip on his Instagram Highlights.

"I have questions," political commentator Mike Cernovich tweeted.

"Yo I've done some s**t in my day but I've never had the stones to do cocaine in a courtroom," the Twitter account for the podcast Slow News Day wrote.

That said, the notion that Heard was snorting drugs on the witness stand is outrageous, to say the least, considering everyone entering the Fairfax County, Virginia courtroom is required to undergo strict security procedures and it is highly unlikely the embroiled actress sneaked cocaine into the hearing.