Actor and talk show host Drew Barrymore issued an apology for comments she made about the Johnny Depp-Amber Heard defamation lawsuit on her show.
Barrymore called the situation "crazy."
Many fans took offense to Barrymore's comments, which they felt were mocking the situation between the two actors, who are suing each other for defamation stemming from allegations of abuse during their marriage.
Amid the backlash, Barrymore took to her Instagram to post an apology and clarify what she meant.
In her video, Barrymore told her followers:
“It has come to my attention that I have offended people with making light of Johnny Depp and Amber Heard and for that I just want to deeply apologize and appreciate everyone who spoke out."
"Because this can be a teachable moment for me in how I move forward and how I conduct myself."
The lawsuit and resulting trial between Depp and Heard has become a media circus in which many deeply private details of both stars' lives and their marriage have become public.
The defamation lawsuit leveled by Depp, and Heard's countersuit, stems from a 2018 op-ed Heard penned in which she discussed experiences of abuse and sexual assault.
Though Heard never mentioned Depp by name, it was widely presumed he was the abuser depicted in the piece. He filed a $50 million defamation lawsuit in response that accuses Heard of abusive behavior, including claims she defecated in his bed and cut off part of his finger.
Like many viewers of the trial, Barrymore couldn't help but laugh about the spectacle the trial has become, telling her audience:
"It’s like one layer of crazy, it’s a seven-layer dip of insanity."
"I know that these are two people’s real lives and I know what it’s like to have your life put out in public."
"I understand all the feelings, but they are actually offering up this information that nobody had to know. This is crazy!"
Because of the serious nature of the allegations in the case, many felt Barrymore was mocking domestic violence.
On Twitter, some rejected what they felt was an insincere and insufficient apology.
But others thought Barrymore was being judged too harshly for her comments.
Whether the apology was warranted or not, Barrymore concluded it by pledging to "be a more thoughtful and better person moving forward."
Hard to fault that sentiment.
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