In response to April Lisante’s editorial last week titled “Depp trial shows Americans’ misplaced priorities.”

While I wholeheartedly agree that popular media is incentivized to distract the public from the real problems facing our nation and our world, I must say that I chuckled at Lisante’s point of view. 

Allow me to explain. In and around 2018, I worked with a woman who, I know for a fact, made baseless accusations about male employees, everything from “a culture of misogyny” to “constant mansplaining” to specific instances of sexual harassment.

This led to significant financial and reputational harm to the company, ultimately resulting in many employees being laid off or quitting. The owners of the company spent hundreds of thousands of dollars trying to defend themselves, while this woman was given pro bono representation.

As a member of the information technology team, I also know that this woman had conversations with people outside the organization during her employ, on company hardware, that revealed her lies. Unbeknownst to her, all of this information was legally archived for just such an occasion.

However, it was too late. The damage was done. The following year for me and many others was a nightmare. Some of my former coworkers self-medicated, others' lives spiraled out of control. The damage extended to loved ones, and the scars still exist today.

I felt a huge cathartic release while watching this trial. It was incredibly therapeutic to see Amber’s lies revealed, and the depths of her manipulative, physically and emotionally-abusive behavior brought to light. I recognize that it’s Hollywood garbage. I know that there are so many better uses of my time. But this sort of reckoning is long overdue. For the first time in a long time, the news today has helped me heal.

James Butler

Wyndmoor