20 companies were called out for posting 'jokes' about violence and rape during the Amber Heard trial. Only one has apologized.

• A viral Twitter thread accused 20 companies of humiliating Amber Heard on social media. 
• Several companies faced backlash for social media posts that referenced testimony from the trial.
• Only one company has publicly responded to the Twitter thread to apologize for its post. 

A viral Twitter thread posted on August 15 accused 20 companies of participating in what it called the "global humiliation" of Amber Heard during her trial against Johnny Depp. So far, only one of the companies has responded with a public apology. 

The thread described instances where various brands referenced testimony from the Depp v. Heard trial for social media campaigns, advertising, or products. It said the brands "mocked" Heard with their content and "encouraged millions of people to participate in the smear campaign against her." 

—lilian (@liliandaisies) August 15, 2022

The thread was posted by a user called @lilliandaisies, whose Twitter bio describes the purpose of her account as "speaking up for Amber and all survivors." It quickly went viral and currently has 50,000 likes and 11,000 retweets, with many users saying they planned to boycott the brands it named and calling the brands' actions "horrifying."

Various companies worldwide have faced backlash from consumers for posting content on social media that referenced the Depp v. Heard trial. As Insider previously reported, an Australian bakery, which was also named in the viral thread, sparked debate after posting a TikTok video with a donut in the shape of a hand with a severed finger, in reference to testimony from Johnny Depp alleging Heard threw a vodka bottle at him which led to his finger being "severed" in 2015, a claim that Heard denied.

In some cases, the brands listed directly referenced the Depp vs. Heard trial in their products or advertising. In other instances, brands' official social media accounts made jokes about the trial. 

On August 16, Nadya Okamoto, the co-founder of a sustainable period products company called August, also named in the thread, posted a response on Twitter with a caption that thanked @lilliandaisies for "holding us accountable on this." 

The thread accused August of using "a trial that involved domestic violence and sexual assault to joke and attract customers," referencing a TikTok video posted on the company's account that showed a person pouring a large glass of liquid onto a sanitary pad. A caption on the video called the large glass a "mega pint" in reference to a moment from the trial when one of Heard's attorney's asked Depp if he had drunk a "mega pint of red wine," which sparked jokes online and became known as the "mega pint" meme.

In a statement, Okamoto apologized on behalf of the company for "trivializing testimony from a case about sexual assault" and added, "we have the responsibility, and we do have to be careful about what our content means." 

Okamoto told Insider she thinks other brands and companies mentioned in the thread "should take more responsibility." 

"As a consumer myself, I want to know that the brands I buy from are aligned in values — and responding when comments are shared to be more transparent is a great way to do that," she added. 

Insider reached out to all 20 companies named in the thread, and only two responded

So far, none of the other companies mentioned in the thread have replied with a public response, but two companies gave a statement when contacted by Insider.

A spokesperson for Starbucks responded to accusations mentioned in the thread that tip jars in their stores across the world encouraged people to "vote" on whether they supported Depp or Heard during the trial, telling Insider they had "shared detailed feedback with the appropriate teams for their review." 

Dr. Barbara Sturm is a luxury skincare brand named in the thread due to Sturm's marriage to Depp lawyer Adam Waldman. A spokesperson for Sturm told Insider that the company "is not involved with the Johnny Depp vs. Amber Heard case, and it is not our corporate policy to comment on other people's legal disputes." 

The Depp vs. Heard trial began on April 11, with Depp suing Heard for defamation over a Washington Post op-ed she wrote in 2018 that didn't name him but made abuse allegations that were widely regarded to be about him. 

Depp was awarded $15 million in damages in the trial after the jury found that Heard defamed him when she described herself as a victim of domestic violence in the op-ed. The jury also found Depp liable for defamation against Heard after one of his attorneys claimed her allegations of sexual abuse were a "hoax." They awarded the "Aquaman" star $2 million in damages. Heard is launching an appeal against the decision. 

Depp was a clear favorite on social media during the trial, and following the verdict, Heard addressed the resulting online mockery directed at her during a June interview with NBC's "Today" show.

"Even somebody who is sure I'm deserving of all this hate and vitriol, even if you think that I'm lying, you still couldn't tell me — look me in the eye and tell me — that you think on social media there's been a fair representation," she said.  

Representatives for Heard did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment.

For more stories like this, check out coverage from Insider's Digital Culture team here.