No survivor should be sued for speaking the truth
No survivor should be sued for speaking the truth
- Fri, Nov 13 at 12:05 PM
Dear Mark,
Four years ago, we gratefully thought we'd heard the last of disgraced actor Johnny Depp, after he mounted a major defamation lawsuit and misogynistic offensive against his young ex-wife Amber Heard that included online bots, rabidly obsessed male fans raining hate on her, and a media spectacle outside of the courthouse.1
But no. Just to show that Hollywood is still a boys' network that rewards man-children who behave badly towards women, Depp is making a major comeback today in the much-anticipated holiday movie, Ebenezer.2 Meanwhile, Heard is now living a relatively quiet life in a different country after Depp and his sexist mob ran her out of town.3 On her and every survivor's behalf, we say hell NO.
There are two things we can do to stop abusers like Depp from dragging survivors through the mud. One is to not help Hollywood sanitize Depp's reputation by refusing to watch Ebenezer. The second, and more lasting change we can make, is to demand that the newly elected Democratic majority in Congress make passing the Speak Your Truth Act, which would protect survivors from weaponized defamation lawsuits, a top priority in the new year.
When an alleged abuser files a defamation lawsuit against a survivor, it can cost the survivor hundreds of thousands of dollars to mount a legal defense. This is one of the major reasons that most survivors choose not to report what happened to them, especially if their assailant is powerful and wealthy. In fact, the architect of Speak Your Truth, Professor Victoria Burke, Esq., of Southwestern University Law School, joined this fight when she was told by legal friends not to talk about a colleague who had drugged and sexually assaulted her--because he could file a defamation lawsuit against her.4
Speak Your Truth would prevent alleged abusers from weaponizing defamation lawsuits to silence their accusers by exacting a hefty price for losing their case. Under the bill, a survivor who beats a federal defamation or libel case filed against them would be entitled to have their attorney's fees and costs paid for by the plaintiff, meaning their accused abuser or attacker. The protection covers factual statements, made without malice, about sexual assault, sexual harassment, or discrimination the speaker personally experienced. This includes workplace harassment and discrimination, retaliation for reporting or opposing it, and harassment or discrimination by the owner of a housing authority accommodation.5
Burke refused to accept the status quo and stay quiet. In fact, she has tirelessly worked to enact Speak Your Truth in five states with bipartisan support: California, Connecticut, Maine, Oregon, and Delaware. Representative Nancy Mace (R-SC) introduced the federal version this year, but it stalled. Now, with new Democratic majorities in Congress, we need to start building momentum for the bill to pass in 2027.6
There really is no healing if survivors can’t even talk about what they’ve experienced. That’s why we must not allow alleged abusers–no matter who they are or how much money they have–to silence them.
Thank you for defending survivors. We are grateful you are with us,
--Elisa and the UltraViolet team
Sources:
1. 'I'm not the man I was': Johnny Depp is back with his biggest role since his highly publicized legal battles, CNN, November 9, 2026
2. Ibid.
3. Ibid.
4. Rep. Nancy Mace Introduces Bill to Make Abusers Pay for Suing Survivors Into Silence, Office of Congresswoman Nancy Mace, October 12, 2026
5. This lawyer is fighting defamation lawsuits that can silence sexual assault victims, NPR, November 10, 2024
6. Rep. Nancy Mace Introduces Bill to Make Abusers Pay for Suing Survivors Into Silence, Office of Congresswoman Nancy Mace, October 12, 2026
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