'Law & Order: SVU' Ripped Apart For Recreating Johnny Depp & Amber Heard Trial: 'Abuse Is Real'
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit fans are up in arms after learning producers have filmed an episode tackling Johnny Depp and Amber Heard's defamation trial, which was riddled with verbal, physical, and sexual abuse allegations, for season 24, RadarOnline.com has discovered.
After photos began circulating featuring the show's longtime leading lady Mariska Hargitay — aka Olivia Benson — in an all-too-familiar narrative.
The pictures, which were taken on the set, depicted overzealous fans holding up signs of support while outside of the courthouse and yelling at the female alleged victim as she was escorted out by Benson and police.
Depp and Heard's names are not used. Instead, SVU viewers will watch Austin and Kelsey's storyline play out. Reminiscent of the chaotic divide between the Pirates Of The Caribbean actor and his Aquaman star ex-wife, the placards read "Team Kelsey" and "I stand with Austin."
Fans aren't impressed, with one even pleading for producers to pull the episode from the season's lineup.
"Law and Order SVU should not be making an episode on the Johnny Depp vs Amber Heard trial. Abuse is real and making Depp out to be a victim which they will more than likely or pull a both sides this is dangerous. @lawandordertv Please don't do this," the person tweeted after the photos circulated.
"Law and Order SVU is doing an episode on the Johnny Depp vs Amber Heard trial. This will hurt victims everywhere if they do a "both sides" or claim that Depp is the victim," the upset viewer continued.
But not everyone felt the same way.
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"Why? They both are clearly abusers who trapped each other in abusive relationship," one Twitter user responded. "Nah they are gonne make amber the victim, which is more dangerous," shared a Depp supporter.
RadarOnline.com watched every second of the trial, in which Heard claimed Depp got violent and even sexually assaulted her with a vodka bottle during their relationship.
Depp told a different story, alleging she was the one that abused him.
The two were in court over what Heard wrote in her 2018 op-ed, in which she claimed she was a victim of domestic abuse. While she didn't name Depp, he claimed her allegations ruined his reputation and cost him millions of dollars in jobs.
He sued his ex-wife for $50 million. Heard sued back for $100 million.
After a six-week trial, the jury found in favor of Depp. The actress was ordered to pay Depp $8.35 million in damages, but she hasn't stopped fighting.
The SVU episode based on the famous ex-lovers' relationship will air on Thursday 22 September 2022.
RadarOnline.com has reached out to Depp and Heard's team.
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