Countdown star Rachel Riley has sparked a backlash from Twitter users after sharing her views on the Johnny Depp and Amber Heard trial on the social media platform.
Rachel, 36, weighed in on Wednesday by calling Depp a “monster” and arguing that “no one in their right mind could defend this man”.
The presenter made the comments as she quoted a tweet from NataliePage31 which read: “If you are condoning this treatment of victims you are helping to ensure that abusers are allowed to continue.
“After 12 beatings being proved by #AmberHeard including one that lasted 3 DAYS, she should be able to say ‘I survived domestic abuse’ without a $100m bounty on her head”.
Rachel wrote: “This thread, 1000 times over. There has already been a judgement (so detailed it’s 129 pages) showing Depp to be a monster."
She shared a screenshot of one of Johnny’s messages shown in evidence, adding: “How so many people can help him abuse his victim now is completely sickening”.
But Twitter users were quick to respond and share their own views on the trial, with many strongly disagreeing with Rachel’s comments, reports The Express .
“Great job Rachel, you’ve confused an angry text about legal revenge on a violent spouse for evidence that Depp is the bad guy,” one Twitter user replied, adding: “Stick to math”.
Another said: “For us DV (domestic violence) survivors, this is an absolutely INSULT to ALL victims of DV or any sort of abuse.”
A third said the presenter was “spectacularly out of her depth”, while many others posted their own links to recent developments in the trial in their defence of Johnny Depp.
Despite the backlash Rachel doubled down on her comments, linking to the judgement for the libel lawsuit that Depp lost against The Sun newspaper two years ago over an article that called him a “wife beater”. The allegations made by Heard were found at the time to be “substantially true”.
“I can only imagine anyone defending him has not read this judgement, and hopes no one else has either,” Rachel wrote on Twitter. “Here’s the link. No one in their right mind could defend this man”.
She went on to say to another Twitter user: "There’s no such thing as a perfect victim, and in domestic abuse cases the perpetrator will often use every tactic at their disposal to muddy waters, humiliate, control and further abuse their victims post separation. It’s horrific."
AnissaCMTaylor was one of the Twitter users who strongly disagreed with Rachel, as she posted a series of tweets replying to the Countdown star.
She began: "[I've] read the judgement. Read the appeal. Heard the audios. Seen the pictures. Read the texts. Read the LAPD testimony. Watched the LAPD body cam footage.
"Know about the charity lies. Don't believe her. Not because it's Johnny Depp, but because the evidence points to her as the abuser.
"Judge Azcarate also ruled the UK proceedings, of which Amber was not a party so didn't have her evidence examined the same way as if she was a party, unfair & didn't allow Amber's attempt to use it to dismiss the Fairfax proceedings.
"One of her many attempts to have it dismissed. It should be noted that Justice Nicol decided that Amber Heard could not have thrown objects at Johnny because she was in her Pyjamas.
"This is an illogical decision. He said she couldn't be a gold digger because she had donated her settlement to charity. This has been shown false."
However, other social media users supported the presenter, with one user saying: "100% agree with @RachelRileyRR. But the legions of insane Depp fans don't see anything aside from their blinkered world view."
Depp is set to conclude his testimony in the $50 million libel case against Amber Heard this week.
The Pirates of the Caribbean star is suing his ex-wife for defamation over an article she wrote in 2018 in The Washington Post, which his lawyers say falsely implies that he physically and sexually abused her.
Heard is counter-suing Depp for $100 million, with the case expected to last around six weeks.
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