Social media activity shows Johnny Depp gaining sampathy in case against Amber Heard

Johnny Depp's Instagram account has seen a sharp rise in followers since he started appearing in a court in a case involving his former wife Amber Heard.

On May 1, the actor was being followed by 14.8 million people on the photo and video sharing website. The number of his followers rose to 15.2 million on May 4. Interestingly, Depp did not share anything on his Instagram during that period.

The Pirates of the Caribbean star, 58, is suing Heard, 35, for defamation after she accused him of abuse.

Depp has accused Heard, also an actor, of defaming him when she penned a December 2018 opinion piece in The Washington Post about being a survivor of domestic abuse.

A state court judge in Fairfax County, Virginia, is overseeing the trial, which is in its second week and is expected to last six weeks