Amber Heard makes rare admission over Johnny Depp trial
Amber Heard has issued rare comments on her high-profile 2022 defamation trial with ex-husband Johnny Depp.
For those who need a reminder, the 39-year-old actress, who has since relocated to Spain with her three children, went head-to-head with the Edward Scissorhands star in a highly publicised court case watched by millions worldwide.
The televised trial saw Heard allege that Depp had been abusive towards her during their marriage, which he denied. The proceedings ended in Depp's favour, after he sued her for defamation.
Depp sued the Aquaman actress for $50 million over a 2018 op-ed she wrote for The Washington Post, alleging she was the victim of domestic abuse.
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She then countersued for $100 million, accusing Depp and his former attorney of conspiring to 'destroy and defame' her.
Ultimately, Heard was ordered to pay her ex-husband $10 million in compensatory damages and $350,000 in punitive damages.
However, she was also awarded $2 million in compensatory damages for her countersuit against him.
As we say, since the trial, Heard has stepped out of the spotlight and moved to Madrid with her three children - Oonagh, four, and twins Ocean and Agnes, who were born in May 2025.
Now, Heard has reportedly made an unexpected appearance in a new documentary, Silenced, which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival on Saturday (24 January).
The doc, by Australian director Selina Miles and international human rights lawyer Jennifer Robinson, centres around accused men weaponising defamation lawsuits to silence women speaking out about abuse.
It's the first film Heard has appeared in since Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom in 2023.
Speaking to director Miles in the movie about the aftermath of her highly-publicised court case, as per Variety, Heard said: "This is not about me. I have lost my ability to speak. I am not here to tell my story. I don’t want to tell my story. In fact, I don’t want to use my voice anymore. That’s the problem."
The actress continued: "The outcome of that trial depended on my participation, and I depended on the outcome of that trial. When I first met [Robinson], I immediately got the sense that she got the bigger picture. What has happened to me is an amplified version of what a lot of women live through."
For context, Robinson represented Heard during the 2020 defamation trial Depp brought against The Sun.
"I remember at the close of the trial, the idea that I could say something to the press came up. [Robinson] asked if I was sure about that. [I thought], ‘If they throw things at me, it will make this point more obvious.’ I didn’t understand it could get so much worse for me as a woman, using my voice," Heard explained.
However, the actress ended the interview on a hopeful note and said it gives her 'strength seeing other people take on the fight'.
"Women brave enough to address the imbalance of power," she said, "Looking at my daughter’s face as she grows up and slowly starts to walk into this world … I believe it can be better."
If you are experiencing domestic violence, please know that you are not alone. You can talk in confidence to the national domestic violence helpline Refuge on 0808 2000 247, available 24/7, or via live chat, available 10am-10pm, Monday to Friday.
Topics: Johnny Depp, Domestic Abuse, Celebrity, Documentaries
Madison Burgess