November 2nd 2023.
Schitt's Creek star Emily Hampshire has sparked major backlash after dressing up as Johnny Depp and Amber Heard for Halloween. Hampshire and a friend wore costumes to resemble the couple's highly-publicised 2022 defamation trial. In now-deleted pictures, Hampshire was seen wearing a beige suit with makeup to imitate Depp’s facial hair, while her friend wore a ruffled blouse, black skirt, and sheer black tights to recreate one of Heard’s trial outfits. The props used also referenced grim moments from the trial, including a bottle of wine and fake 'turd.'
In response to the controversy, Hampshire posted an apology to her Instagram. She said, "I want to address what is one of the most thoughtless, insensitive, and ignorant things I’ve ever done. For Halloween, I stupidly thought it would be funny to dress as Johnny Depp and Amber Heard. I am deeply sorry and ashamed for putting something that awful out in the universe. Domestic abuse is never, ever funny. These are real issues with real people and I REALLY regret my actions. In the future I will do better. I'm sorry."
Hampshire's costume choice was immediately met with intense backlash from social media users. One person said, "I usually fold in the presence of even the most anemic apology. But @emilyhampshire It wasn’t even close. I am a DV Victim, as are most of the people who follow me. I can’t explain what seeing someone dressed as my abuser or dressed as myself taking the stand would do to me." Another added, "This is so beyond disappointing to see from @emilyhampshire. words can’t articulate how let down and disgusted I feel."
The Johnny Depp and Amber Heard trial has been highly publicised, and for good reason. The pair married in 2015, and Heard filed for divorce in May 2016. Depp then sued Heard for defamation after she published a piece in the Washington Post claiming to be the victim of abuse. Although she did not explicitly name Depp, his lawyers claimed he was identifiable as the accused. The trial was ultimately settled in Depp's favour.
Hampshire's costume choice was tasteless, insensitive, and dangerous. Her apology was inadequate, but hopefully this situation will serve as an important reminder to everyone to think about the implications of their actions and to be more mindful of the gravity of domestic abuse.
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