- NSYNC star
Lance Bass deleted hisTikTok video re-enactingAmber Heard 's testimony about her abuse. - Bass participated in a viral trend mimicking Heard talking about being hit for the first time.
Former NSYNC band member Lance Bass has deleted a TikTok video where he re-enacted Amber Heard's testimony from her ongoing defamation case against her ex-husband Johnny Depp.
On Monday, Bass participated in a viral TikTok trend of people mimicking a soundbite from the trial where Heard spoke about being hit for the first time.
"I lose my balance. At this point, we're sitting next to each other on the couch on the edge of the couch, or I was on the edge of the couch. I was just sitting there on this carpet, looking on the dirty carpet, wondering how I wound up on this carpet and why I never noticed that the carpet was this filthy before," the "Aquaman" star said in the audio as Bass acted out what she was saying.
Bass' re-enactment went viral but quickly sparked a backlash from fans who thought it was disrespectful to mock a trial about domestic abuse.
The Representation Project, an organization campaigning against harmful gender norms and stereotypes, tweeted in response: "Mocking or making light of domestic abuse and sexual assault is never okay – and it's not just Lance Bass, but a troubling trend taking over social media."
—The Rep Project (@RepresentPledge) May 17, 2022
Bass deleted the video on Wednesday but has not given an explanation yet as to its removal.
Insider has reached out to representatives of Bass for comment.
Depp is currently suing Heard for defamation following a 2018 essay she wrote that said she was a victim of intimate partner violence. Heard has denied claims that she had fabricated an incident where she accused Depp of beating her and had, in fact, verbally and physically assaulted him on numerous occasions. She is also countersuing for $100 million.
Bass is not the first to make light of the ongoing case. Earlier this month, Drew Barrymore apologized for calling the case "a seven-layer dip of insanity" on her daytime talk show. Comedian Chris Rock and the cast of "Saturday Night Live" have also made jokes about the trial.
Insider has also previously reported how Depp's fans have taken over Twitter and TikTok, posting memes, fancams, and jokes about lawyers' questions and attacking anyone who speaks in support of Heard.