Analysing data from the Depp v Heard trial is more complicated than you’d think

I analyse audience interactions all day, every day – and I know that sometimes a story isn’t quite what it seems, writes Lucy Anna Gray

The top searches relating to Amber Heard and Johnny Depp pertain to live-streams of the trial, and their net worths (AFP/Getty)

After a week-long hiatus, Amber Heard has once again taken the stand in the defamation trial brought against her by Johnny Depp.

Heard is being sued by Depp for her 2018 Washington Post op-ed in which she implied he abused her, although did not name him. The Pirates of the Caribbean star claims her allegations impacted his ability to obtain work.

With the most A-list of A-list names being dropped, court live-streams and at times truly disturbing, baffling testimonies, it is no wonder Depp v Heard has gained the attention it has. But it is not the case alone under the spotlight. Reactions – and commentary about the reactions – have become just as popular. TikToks defending Depp and conspiracy theories about Heard abound. Psychological analyses of superfans have appeared across the internet. Axios recently published a piece headlined “​​America more interested in Depp-Heard trial than abortion” that claimed people are more interested in the trial than in the possibility of the Supreme Court overturning Roe v Wade because social media interactions are higher on terms related to Depp and Heard.