From a motel room five miles from the site of Depp v. Heard in suburban Virginia, Sarah describes the fascinating culture around the courthouse: The mother-daughter fans screaming as the star waves from his black SUV; the hard-cores who queue up before midnight in a parking garage to secure a spot at the next day’s trial; the YouTube brand builders; the Depp lawyers who have become online folk heroes; and the lone crumpled figure who could only be a journalist (a French one). But what Sarah doesn’t see is American reporters. She and Nancy have some ideas why.

We discuss the suffering extended and inflicted, by the high-profile sobriety coach charging Depp $100k/month even though the star was still smoking weed and drinking wine; by a longtime friend and former band member who encouraged Depp to go to AA but found himself cut off after he testified in the UK trial; of Amber Heard captured on a security camera, canoodling with James Franco in the elevator of Depp’s penthouse.

Is Sarah right when she wonders if Depp has much in common with his iconic character, Edward Scissorhands, in the way he “hurts everything he touches”? Is Nancy speaking common sense when she says she finds “people using misery as a commodity to further their own agenda beyond disgusting”?

Plus Sarah meets a heroic presence, the one journalist she was hoping to find.

Want to talk Depp v. Heard (or anything else?). Head over to Smoke ‘Em’s first discussion thread!

Episode notes:

“Amber Heard: I spoke up against sexual violence — and faced our culture’s wrath. That has to change.” ACLU-written Opinion piece by “Amber Heard” (WaPo)

“Amber Heard and the Death of #MeToo,’ by Michelle Goldberg (NYT)

“The ACLU Says It Wrote Amber Heard's Domestic Violence Op-Ed and Timed It to Her Film Release,” by Audra Heinrichs (Jezebel)

Johnny Depp slams cabinets while Amber Heard films and asks, “What happened?”

Blackout: Remembering the Things I Drank to Forget, by Sarah Hepola

“Digging JFK’s Grave Was His Honor,” by Jimmy Breslin

Nick Wallis, “Reporting Depp v. Heard” (YouTube)

What’s Eating Gilbert Grape? trailer, 1993

“Undercover on High School’s Ritziest Glitziest Night: It All Goes Down at Prom” by Sarah Hepola (Austin Chronicle)

Hot Topic Johnny Depp T-shirt

“Ellen Barkin Said Johnny Depp Was a ‘Jealous Man’ During Their ‘Sexual’ Relationship,” by Victoria Bekiempis (New York)

Correction: Nancy thought the name of the recent series Barkin starred in was “Animals.” It was in fact “Animal Kingdom.” Management regrets the error.

“Who Is Camille Vasquez? 5 Things to Know About Johnny Depp’s Lawyer Amid Amber Heard Defamation Trial,” by Miranda Siwak (Us Magazine)

Amber Heard and James Franco Cuddling in Elevator (Law & Crime channel)

Americans Are Way More Interested in the Heard v. Depp Trial Than Roe v. Wade (Axios)

Scenes from a celebrity trial, including the accidental star James from Court.

Also, there were alpacas.

Outro music: “21 Jump Street” theme song, Holly Robinson

And in case you were wondering which Johnny Depp poster Sarah had in her bedroom.

Stay tuned for more in-depth coverage on the trial. It’s pretty wild.

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