Depp v. Heard and What’s DARVO?

Many clients ask about what happened with the Johnny Depp and Amber Heard defamation trial. It was arguably one of the more published and followed court cases in years, perhaps since the OJ Simpson trials. The stakes of the Dominion v. Fox trial were of course much higher in terms of the amounts of money. The question then becomes, how much money is one’s reputation worth? In the case of Depp, he claimed to have lost substantial movie deals and endorsements based on the defamatory article that ran in the Washington Post.

In the Depp v. Heard case, both parties made allegations of defamation and then cited abuse against by the other as a defense strategy. The trial was all over social media, with many more negative comments about one of the parties (no names mentioned here, you can judge for yourself).

One of the key strategies that legal experts believe was used Depp and Heard’s legal teams in the trial, was DARVO. DARVO stands for Deny, Attack, and Reverse Victim and Offender. It is documented as a common manipulation tactic that can be used by abusers to deflect blame and avoid accountability for their actions - and instead deflect the blame to the other party or parties. It is also a strategy that defense attorneys can use when their clients are accused of abuse.

The Deny phase of DARVO involves the abuser denying that any abuse took place. They may also minimize the severity of the abuse or make excuses for their behavior.

The Attack phase of DARVO involves the abuser attacking the victim. They may do this by blaming the victim for the abuse, calling them names, or making threats.

The Reverse Victim and Offender phase of DARVO involves the abuser trying to make themselves out to be the victim. They may do this by claiming that they are the ones who were abused, or by claiming that the victim is the one who is abusive.

DARVO can be an effective manipulation tactic because it can be very confusing for the victim. The victim may start to doubt their own memories and perceptions, and they may start to feel like they are the one who is at fault. Of course, it can also be confusing for a jury and in some cases, that appears to be part of why the verdicts came back in Depp v. Heard, the way they did.

Refer to our other posts on defamation law to learn more about the principle elements of those types of cases.

And - if you are in an abusive relationship, it is important to be aware of the DARVO tactic. If your abuser is using DARVO, it is important to remember that you are not to blame for the abuse. You are the victim, and you deserve to be safe. If you are experiencing abuse, it is important to get help. You can call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-SAFE (7233) or visit their website at https://www.thehotline.org/.