What is an 'op-ed' and why did the piece destroy Johnny Depp life, career?

Amber Heard alleged herself to be a victim of domestic abuse in her infamous 2018 op-ed.

The article single-handedly destroyed ex-husband Johnny Depp's life and career, made him lose the trust of his friends and turned him into a worldwide villain.

Op-ed is short for “opposite the editorial page”.

The Cambridge Dictionary describes the term as a "piece of writing that expresses a personal opinion and is usually printed in a newspaper opposite the page on which the editorial is printed”.

Such articles are not written by the editorial team of the publication but are an opinion of the author itself. 

After filing for divorce from Johnny Depp, Heard identified herself as a victim of sexual violence in a piece titled 'I spoke up against sexual violence – and faced our culture’s wrath. That has to change.'

She wrote about how she was “exposed to abuse at a very young age”, and that she had been “harassed and sexually assaulted by the time I was of college age”.

Heard said she initially “kept quiet” about the incidents.

However, Amber added that she decided to speak up against violence and domestic abuse after witnessing it firsthand, indicating ex-husband Johnny Depp to be the abuser.

Heard called herself “a public figure representing domestic abuse” and soon Johnny Depp started losing on major acting gigs including key role in Pirates of the Caribbean.

Depp also got bad media attention amid the chaos, where many outlets dubbed him a 'wife-beater.'

Eventually, Depp sued Amber Heard 13 months after their divorce was finalised, alleging her for causing defamation.

Heard has counter-sued Depp for $100m (£80m), claiming he defamed her when his legal team referred to her claims as “fake” and a “sexual violence hoax”.