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Ariana Baio
Jun 08, 2022
A man claiming to be part of the jury in the Depp v. Heard case has sparked an online investigation
Getty Images, moni_hakunamatata / TikTok
An informal online investigation began this past week after a man claiming to be a juror in the Johnny Depp v. Amber Heard trial went viral for posting TikTok videos recounting his experience.
On Thursday, the man who asked to remain anonymous posted a video to his TikTok account by the name @seekinginfinite, claiming to be one of the seven jurors in the Depp v. Heard case.
Over the course of a day, the man posted a total of eight videos vaguely recounting how he and the jury decided on the verdict before deleting his account and videos sometime on Friday.
Despite his claims, viewers were skeptical of the man's legitimacy and began an informal investigation into his claims. Internet sleuths tried to deduce the location of the man, the authenticity of juror paperwork that he showed in one video, and more.
Combined, his videos received over two million views and led other creators and media organizations to re-circulate the videos.
One TikToker, @realjamesfromcourt, started a whole series dedicated to unveiling the truth behind the potential juror.
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James says he was present at the trial every day and felt the man's statements were not truthful.
Other TikTokers began using #seekinginfinite to conduct their own informal investigations and spark discussion surrounding the man's true identity once his account had been deactivated.
@realjamesfromcourt Sorry y’all! @seekinginfinite is cat fishing you! He is NOT one of the jurors from the #johnnydepptrial #johnnydepp #johnnydeppvsamberheard #johnnydepptiktok #amberheard #jury #juror #verdict #johnnydeppcourt
The truth was revealed on Tuesday when CNN reported the man admitted he was not a resident of Virginia where the trial took place and lied as "a prank" in a text message.
Even before the man confirmed his legitimacy, people noticed inconsistencies in the information @seekinginfinite gave. While trying to "prove" he was juror by showing small parts of his jury summons, other TikTokers pointed out how the summons did not look like a Virginia jury summons.
@thatkellyclarkson Reply to @ckinnz Here’s an example of California and Virginia templates for jury summons.
The man also gave vague publicly available information when speaking about the jury's decision making such as commenting on Heard's eye contact with the jury, praising Depp's lawyer Camille Vasquez, and maintaining that the jury thought Heard was lying especially after the divorce settlement donation revelation.
Speaking to CNN, the man told reporters to "leave me alone and don't spread my information please," once the legitimacy of his claims had been divulged.
The actual jurors' names are to be sealed for one year following the trial, however, they are allowed to speak to their experience on their own if they wish.
The Depp V. Heard trial generated tons of content for creators on TikTok. Even Depp made an account to thank his fans for their support.
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