Johnny Depp fans have been camping outside of the courthouse amid his defamation trial against ex-wife Amber Heard, with one even spending over $2000 on new clothes in case she’s caught on camera.
The highly publicised court case has amassed widespread attention on social media since it started in Fairfax County, Virginia, last month.
As new evidence comes to light, many fans have sided with the Pirates of the Caribbean star, and a social media expert even said the ‘JusticeForJohnnyDepp’ hashtag has been the biggest trending topic of the trial so far.
Beyond social media, hoards of supporters have travelled far and wide to get a spot inside of the courthouse, with some even camping out just so they can get in the queue in good time.
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Court officials have had to limit the number of people allowed in due to the high volume of spectators.
Just 100 wristbands for the main courtroom are handed out each day, and an additional 150 to the overflow room, according to the NY Post.
So many fans have been setting up camp outside the building that the Fairfax County Sheriff's office has put up signs urging people not to arrive before 1am.
One Depp supporter who turns up at this hour just to wait in line spoke to People magazine about her dedication to the cause.
The woman, named Jennifer, explained that she travelled all the way from New York and spent $2200 on new clothes just to wear at the trial as it’s aired online.
"As a person who has been through domestic violence herself, it just needed to be something that we did,” she said.
“I've been here since the start of the trial. I'm self-employed, so it was very flexible."
Another named Ivan admitted she’s spent around $30,000 on expenses in order to be present for the trial, stating: "I took my whole year's vacation so I could be here for Johnny. I'm the same age as Johnny. I'm single, so I do what I want to, basically."
Despite the hefty hit to her bank account, the woman said she has ‘no regrets’, adding: “I'd regret it more if I wasn't here."
Meanwhile Emily, who lives locally, said: "My friends think I'm insane for doing it but I think it's a historic trial and I think it's really interesting that it's taking place in Northern Virginia. Someone got here last night [at 9pm] to get the first spot."
The support for Depp shows no signs of slowing as he continues his multimillion dollar defamation case against his ex-wife over an article she wrote in 2018 in which she claimed she was a survivor of domestic abuse.
Though not named in the op-ed, the 58-year-old actor argues that the article was clearly a reference to their relationship and that it badly impacted his career.
Depp is seeking $50 million in damages from Heard, while she is countersuing him for $100 million.
Topics: Johnny Depp, Amber Heard
Daisy Phillipson