Johnny Depp fans flooded social media to discredit Amber Heard. Now they're doing the same to take down Marilyn Manson's accuser Evan Rachel Wood.

In February 2021, actor Evan Rachel Wood released an explosive statement in which she accused her ex-boyfriend, singer Marilyn Manson (real name Brian Warner), of grooming and abusing her during the course of their relationship. Manson denied the claims in an Instagram statement saying his intimate relationships have "always been entirely consensual."

The pair met in 2005 when Wood was 19 and Manson was 36. They confirmed they were dating in 2007 and had a tumultuous, on-and-off relationship until 2010, when they broke up following an engagement.

In the subsequent years, Wood spoke publicly about being sexually assaulted and abused, but did not name a perpetrator. Following her statement accusing Manson last year, the singer was dropped by his record label and cut from two acting projects, Deadline reported. 

Now, Manson is suing Wood for defamation, following the lead of his close friend Johnny Depp, who filed a similar suit against his ex-wife and accuser Amber Heard. Depp's defamation case against Heard dominated the cultural conversation earlier this year.

Manson is likely hoping he sees the same treatment as Depp, who was largely perceived as the winning party thanks in part to how his fans mobilized on social media and pushed the narrative that Heard lied about the accusations. 

Depp's supporters on social media — bolstered by TikTok and Instagram algorithms, drowned out those who backed Heard.

After the trial concluded — finding for both parties but awarding Depp $15 million in damages compared to $2 million for Heard — public perception shifted slightly. In the months since,  many have come to believe that the treatment of Heard on social media and in mainstream media was toxic and potentially damaging to people who speak out about abuse experienced at the hands of powerful men.

The pro-Depp contingent has remained vocal about their support for the actor; they continue to argue he was the true victim of abuse in the relationship. And now that the Depp-Heard trial is over, they've begun using some of the same tactics that successfully discredited Amber Heard to do the same to Wood.

Here's how.

—Eve Barlow (@Eve_Barlow) July 21, 2022

During Depp's trial, rumors that his close friend Marilyn Manson would be testifying on his behalf began to swirl. While Manson never took the stand, he was brought up during both Depp and Heard's testimonies.

Around the same time, a photo of Amber Heard with Evan Rachel Wood surfaced, suggesting the two women were friends.

On July 20, according to various screenshots shared on Twitter and TikTok, Wood posted an Instagram story responding to the resurfaced image. (Wood's Instagram account has since been made private and Insider was unable to verify she shared the image.)

"Oh look, a photo from 2015 that keeps circulating trying to 'prove' something," the purported post read. "This photo was taken at an event honoring my stylist, who also styled JD. I arrived alone and was seated at this table."

"With certain logic, everyone who was seen in a photo with Weinstein would have to be a rapist," she continued. 

This led to backlash against Wood. Heard supporters suggested she was equating Heard to Weinstein, who was convicted of rape in February 2020.

Nevertheless, the image helped solidify the idea of a link between the two women in the public consciousness.

@shannonhillnews

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For YouTubers, tapping into a conversation dominating the zeitgeist can be hugely profitable. Insider previously reported that legal commentators made tens of thousands of dollars by reacting in real-time to livestreams of the Depp v. Heard trial on YouTube.

A number of social-media creators with no background in law or journalism spotted the opportunity and followed suit, seeing a massive spike in their audience when they began to discuss the trial, often with a pro-Depp stance.

As reported by the Washington Post's Taylor Lorenz, content produced by social media influencers skewed heavily pro-Depp, and Depp's team took advantage. Lawyer Adam Waldman told the Post that he was in communication with some of the YouTubers, whom he referred to as "internet journalists."

One of the most polarizing figures in this space was anonymous YouTuber ThatUmbrellaGuy. According to social analytics tracker SocialBlade, his channel went from typically receiving under 500,000 views per week to between 3 and 6 million views over the course of the trial, which he covered from a pro-Depp perspective. Some of his most-viewed videos include "Amber Heard ADMITS Depp HOAX in BOMBSHELL AUDIO?!" and "Judge's BOMBSHELL decision RUINS Amber Heard; Depp FINALLY sees JUSTICE!"

Since the success of his pro-Depp content, ThatUmbrellaGuy has posted several tweets about Evan Rachel Wood's accusations, saying there was no evidence of her claims, equating the two cases, amplifying Manson's claims, and confirming that he'll be covering the case.

Fellow pro-Depp YouTube channel Colonel Kurtz, has already begun to create pro-Manson content. Since the Depp v. Heard verdict was read on June 1, she's uploaded at least nine separate videos about Wood and Manson. 

Several other high-profile pro-Depp YouTubers have pivoted to pro-Manson content in recent weeks.