For content creators on the Twitch platform, finding a niche is just as important as discovering major trends that pull in as many viewers as possible. While the platform mostly features people indulging in their favorite games on stream, Twitch's Just Chatting category allows creators to discuss any hot topic, including streaming the event live.
With the ongoing Johnny Depp vs. Amber Heard court proceedings continuing, the entertainment world has all eyes locked on every testimonial, objection, and everything in between. It's not out of the ordinary for public figures to become the center of attention on Twitch, as United States Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez pulled in record numbers back in 2020.
Due to the popularity of the Heard vs. Depp trials, many of Twitch's biggest content creators are live streaming the court hearings each day while providing their own commentary. The numbers are astounding, ranging anywhere from tens of thousands all the way into six figures. Popular Twitch figure Asmongold hit well over 121,000 viewers concurrently, while many other streamers hit numbers higher than some of the platform's top-streaming games. Thanks in large part to the court proceedings being the central talking point in most conversations, Depp vs. Heard has officially become the new meta of the Twitch platform.
The two began dating in 2012 after seperating from their respective partners, leading up to their engagement in 2014 and subesequent marriage one year later. By 2016, Amber Heard filed for divorce, following it up with a file for a restraining order four days later. Then, in an op-ed published in the Washington Post in 2018, Heard made comments about standing up to sexual violence, which many took notice of as an aim towards Depp. In a reaction to the comments made, Depp filed a defamation lawsuit four months later, reportedly worth $50 million. Heard fired back with a counter-lawsuit reportedly worth $100 million, and her motion to dismiss Depp's defamation suit was denied.
Since then, the two have gone back and forth with accusations of domestic and sexual abuse against each other, with evidence to show for both sides. The open case has split the world in half, with some defending Depp's name and legacy and others standing by Heard and her claims. The hearings have traveled through Hollywood, with celebrities taking sides and some making statements on air to stand in solidarity with Depp or Heard. The reaction from onlookers isn't all positive, as some comments have led to on-air apologies, including Drew Barrymore's apology for her "seven-layer dip of insanity" comment. The hearings are currently in week four of its six-week trial and can be viewed live each day on ABC News.