No one covered the Johnny Depp–Amber Heard trial in quite the way that Jessica Reed Kraus did on Instagram and Substack, taking her readers into the courtroom, behind the scenes, and into some of the most salacious details of the actors’ personal lives. Near the start of the pandemic, the relatively unknown writer and influencer had pivoted from writing about home renovations and her four children in Orange County to something that she felt could bring people together in more civil conversations: celebrity gossip. Nearly two years on, Jessica has accumulated more than 1 million Instagram followers and more than 100,000 Substack subscribers. Now some of Hollywood’s biggest names turn to her to tell their sides of complex stories.. 

She got there thanks to her bold and gleefully obsessive coverage of trials involving Britney Spears, Ghislaine Maxwell, and—her breakout moment—Depp-Heard. When the Depp-Heard case began in April this year, Jessica recognized its significance and felt compelled to cover it, despite having no prior professional journalism experience. Through daily Instagram Stories and then in-depth Substack posts, Jessica relayed gossip she had gathered through the proceedings, as well as phone calls, texts, DMs, and more, much of it from close-to-celebrity sources who would never talk to the mainstream media. Her scoops—unfiltered, unsanctioned, and unabashed—touched on the tawdry and the truly scandalous, almost daring the powerful subjects to respond. 

So why has Jessica, who has been unafraid to take sides in the stories she’s covering, become one of the most trusted gossip writers among the Hollywood elite? What does her sudden success say about the rise of the influencer-reporter in the new media economy? And can the art of gossip be rediscovered on new platforms? 

All this, and more, in this week’s episode of The Active Voice.

https://jessicareedkraus.substack.com/

Show notes

* Recommended read: The Queen: What She Meant to Me in Vicky Ward Investigates:

* House Inhabit by Jessica Reed Kraus

* Jessica Reed Kraus on Instagram and Twitter

* Depp Vs. Heard / Pt .1—The Phone Call

* [01:13] Speaking to Johnny Depp on the phone

* [08:00] Growing an audience through the Johnny Depp–Amber Heard trial

* [09:18] On respecting the art of gossip

* [13:00] The reaction from mainstream media

* [18:32] On gaining the trust of sources

* [19:35] How it all started

* [22:01] On being branded as an “anti-vaxxer”

* [27:06] Being banned on Instagram

* [29:31] Making turning a passion into a career

* [31:39] On speaking to Courtney Love while washing the dishes

* [32:50] Preferring being behind-the-scenes

* Newsletter Breakdown—A Welcome Guide for Newcomers

The Active Voice is a new podcast hosted by Hamish McKenzie, featuring weekly conversations with writers about how the internet is affecting the way they live and write. It is produced by Hanne Winarsky, with audio engineering by Seven Morris, content production by Hannah Ray, and production support from Bailey Richardson. All artwork is by Joro Chen, and music is by Phelps & Munro.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit read.substack.com