xQc Emergency Alerts
Felix “xQc” was streaming the defamation trial between Johnny Depp and Amber Heard, as he had been for the past few weeks. There was a brief interruption in the courtroom as the trial neared its conclusion. The sound of emergency alarms played out from several cell phones in the courtroom as one of Amber Heard’s lawyers made their closing argument. During this time, the streamer reacted. “Amber alerts?”
The former Overwatch pro has joined a long list of prominent streamers who have been live-streaming the defamation trial between Johnny Depp and Amber Heard. He usually broadcasts for lengthy periods of time, thus the trial’s daily court procedures may only account for a third of the day’s total stream. Closing comments were presented in the courtroom today as the trial neared its conclusion. When Heard’s lawyer, Ben Rottenborn, was presenting his closing arguments, there was an awkward moment. Inside the courtroom, multiple phones rang with what sounded like an Amber alert.
During a lull in Rottenborn’s closing arguments, Judge Penney Azcarate, who is presiding over the case, took a time to address the disruption. “There appears to be an Amber alert, but I think we’re ok.”
The judge also reminded attendees in the courtroom to turn off their cell phones to avoid any future disruptions. While an Amber alert going off during Amber Heard’s final speech would have been quite a coincidence, it turns out that was not the case. It was most likely a severe weather warning. The courthouse is in Fairfax County, Virginia, and thunderstorms and perhaps tornadoes are expected today.
xQc praised Rottenborn for maintaining his cool and not allowing the courtroom’s notifications to distract him from delivering his concluding point. “Good job to the lawyer for keeping going though.”
During the Depp v. Heard trial, there have been numerous bizarre occurrences that have kept it alive as a worldwide spectacle. While the case may be coming to an end, the content provided to streamers has not yet been completed.