Johnny Depp wins the defamation lawsuit against his ex-wife Amber Heard, England is in a state of emergency and Boris Becker is not allowed to shower so often: Vip, Vip Hooray! The Celebrity Week recap is here.
“Six years ago, my life (…) and the lives of the people who have supported and believed in me for many, many years changed forever, and all in the blink of an eye,” Johnny said in a statement Douchebag. The Hollywood star has won the case against his ex-wife Amber Heard. Hardly any other topic from the world of celebrities has kept us so busy in the past few weeks.
But while the jury found the 36-year-old guilty and Depp was awarded 15 million dollars (14.08 million euros) in damages, the German media in particular paint the image of a woman as a victim who cannot fight her overpowering ex-husband, the she once dubbed “as a woman beater”. The thing is, Heard was convicted of lying after a grueling six-week trial that anyone who wanted to could watch directly from the courtroom.
One victim of domestic violence is one too many. But we have to make a very clear distinction here: Johnny Depp does not emerge victorious from this defamation lawsuit because, as many claim in general terms, he is an “old white man” who has a lot of power. He won because a court proved that he was the victim of lies, manipulation and defamation. There is no question that the majority of victims of domestic violence are women. Far too many women who, unfortunately, are often not believed. And on the other hand, there are far too many perpetrators who are not convicted because there is no evidence of their crime. This is, to put it mildly, a huge problem. For the women. For all victims.
Because we must also be able to say that men are also victims of domestic violence. It is not only ignorant, but basically malicious, denying male victims their experiences of violence or downplaying them because they do not appear that much in percentage terms, loosely based on the motto: the few men shouldn’t be like that. Almost 20 years ago, a study commissioned by the Federal Ministry for Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth stated that men as victims of violence remain “largely unconsidered”.
When we talk about the notion of “toxic masculinity,” we as a society must also be allowed to talk openly about “toxic femininity.” Especially under the guise of feminism and such an important and right movement as
When a (famous) man is accused, word spreads like wildfire. For Depp, “the incident (…) had already gone around the world twice within a nanosecond and had seismic effects” on his “life” and his “career”. But abuse and violence know neither gender nor skin color. And before you put people in the virtual pillory, especially on social media, you should internalize that Twitter and Instagram are not a courtroom. If you only fight injustice with more injustice, you end up in a vicious circle.
Let’s move on to a more cheerful subject: The Queen is celebrating her jubilee. Not only England, the whole world seems literally over the moon. 70 years have passed since Elizabeth II ascended the throne following the death of her father, King George VI, on February 6, 1952.
She has seen 14 prime ministers and ministers come and go, scandals have shaken the royal family not only since the tragic revelations about life behind the palace walls of Princess Diana, who died in an accident in 1997. The involvement of her son Andrew in the abuse scandal surrounding Jeffrey Epstein, who shied away from responsibility and hanged himself in a cell, sobered the image of the royals in public perception.
Nevertheless, the Queen, who is practically an English national asset, is loved dearly by her people. And so the 96-year-old can certainly be forgiven for only participating to a limited extent in the multi-day celebrations due to her old age.
He too will have to step back in the future: Jürgen Drews. The 77-year-old pop singer, who became known throughout Germany with the evergreen “Ein Bett im Kornfeld” in 1976, announced in a statement on Instagram that he unfortunately had to realize that “the side effects of old age were catching up with him more and more quickly.” In addition, the “creeping process” of his nervous illness – Drews suffers from polyneuropathy – “unfortunately cannot be stopped completely”. The pop bard’s appearance always gave him a youthful aura and his fans got the impression that the agile “King of Mallorca” would cheat age. May he quickly recharge his batteries!
Boris Becker announced through his lawyer that he would not appeal his court decision. Perhaps, as difficult as that may sound, the time behind bars is also an opportunity for the tennis legend. A chance to unwind from all the hustle and bustle around his person and life in the fast lane. No more commitments, no appointments, no (negative) press. Self-reflection, maybe self-awareness.
But there are also reports about the bad conditions in English prisons. In Huntercombe prison, where Becker is being held, the 54-year-old can take various courses, but everyday life is strict even in a “feel-good prison”. Becker is only allowed to shower twice a week, phone calls are regulated. According to his lawyer, he was “doing well there, given the circumstances”. Happy Pentecost to you and see you next week!