What is MenToo and why is it trending ?

#MenToo started to trend on Twitter hours after a jury settled that Amber Heard defamed ex-husband Johnny Depp by declaring herself “a public figure representing domestic violence” in a Washington Post op-ed.

It is being used to stand in solidarity with men who have experienced abuse.

Also Read | How Johnny Depp and Amber Heard’s long trial played out: A timeline

What is the #MenToo movement?

#MenToo is a campaign that started in Bangalore, India in 2018, after an NGO, Children’s Rights Initiative for Shared Parenting (CRISP), used the hashtag. The movement aims to protect men from false sexual misconduct accusations that disrupt their lives. At its heart, the men too movement advocates for equal and fair rights for men.

#MenToo is a gender variant of the original #MeToo movement. 

The #MeToo movement was founded in 2006 by Tarana Burke, a New York-based feminist advocate who coined the phrase to combat sexual abuse, harassment and rape culture. It is a social movement against sexual abuse and sexual harassment in which women speak up about their sexual abuse or sexual harassment experiences, and the movement spread like wildfire in 2017 through hashtags after numerous sexual abuse allegations emerged against media mogul Harvey Weinstein.

Also Read | Amber Heard disappointed ‘beyond words’ after defamation verdict

The #MenToo movement is also concerned with the fate of men who have been acquitted in court after false accusations.

A sexual assault against a Bollywood actor in 2019 fueled the #MenToo movement in India.

Karan Oberoi Sexual Assault Case

Actor Karan Oberoi was arrested on 5 May 2019 due to a sexual harassment complaint filed by his ex-girlfriend, after which Bollywood actress Pooja Bedi and the founder of Purush Aayog, Barkha Trehan, appealed for gender-neutral laws and investigations, starting the journey of the #MenToo movement.

Also Read | Johnny Depp wins his defamation case against ex-wife Amber Heard

Johnny Depp Defamation Case

This movement was brought to light again after the verdict in Johnny Depp’s defamation case against ex-wife Amber Heard.

Heard was discovered to have allegedly abused Depp while they were married, Heard fought these allegations by claiming the opposite.

Also Read | Johnny Depp on Amber Heard defamation trial verdict: New chapter has begun

The jury awarded Johnny Depp $15 million in damages from Amber Heard and awarded her $2 million in damages.

Depp, for his part, responded to the verdict with a statement on Instagram that read- 

Also Read | Johnny Depp skips verdict hearing, Amber Heard’s team slams actor

“Six years ago, my life, the life of my children, the lives of those closest to me, and also, the lives of the people, who for many, many years have supported and believed in me were forever changed,” Depp said. 

“The jury gave me my life back,” from the very beginning, the goal of bringing this case was to reveal the truth, regardless of the outcome. The best is yet to come and a new chapter has finally begun,” he added.

His post received millions of likes, igniting the #MenToo movement outside of India.